MCG Executive Briefing for February 17, 2014

Only eight cars finished after a massive pileup, but Denny Hamlin persevered to win the season-opening NASCAR Sprint Unlimited in Daytona. Get all the latest car biz news in the Executive Briefing.    -Chevrolet Racing photo 

 

 

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+   A California real estate firm has purchased the historic American Axle facility in Detroit and plans build-to-suit industrial projects. More at Crain’s Detroit Business.

+   Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, and Nissan have agreed with Toyota to standardize their pickup towing capacity ratings under the Society of Automotive Engineers’ J2807 benchmark. More at the Detroit Free Press.

+   The Peugeot family, largest shareholders in Peugeot Citroen PSA, meet this week to consider two recapitalization plans for the French automaker. More at Reuters.

+   Denny Hamlin charged through a crash-depleted field to win NASCAR’s Sprint Unlimited curtain-raiser at Daytona. More at Racer.

+   Hourly workers at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga, Tennessee assembly plant voted 712 to 626 against United Auto Workers representation. More at Motor Trend.

+   J.D. Power’s annual Vehicle Dependability Study of most trouble-free three year-old (2011) brands is led by Lexus, Mercedes, and Cadillac. More at USA Today.

+   The share price of TRW Automotive rose to a new high of $79.29 Friday after fourth-quarter earnings beat analysts’ estimates. More at The Detroit News.

+   IndyCar driver Simona de Silvestro has joined the Sauber F1 team as an affiliated driver with the goal of landing a starting seat in 2015. More at The Globe and Mail.

For the previous Executive Briefing from February 14, click here.

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