This 1965 Shelby 427 Competition with original bodywork is expected to bring up to $4 million at the RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island auction. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s Headlines:
+ Michigan-based electric pickup start-up Rivian will receive a $700 million cash injection from investors led by Amazon.com, while talks with General Motors continue. More at The Detroit News.
+ Jim Farley, Ford’s president of global markets, confirmed plans for an electric F-150 and for a compact pickup that will slot below the Ranger in size and price. More at Automotive News.
+ Ferrari will introduce a V8-hybrid supercar into regular production later this year with more than 700 horsepower, making it the most powerful Ferrari road car ever. More at The Drive.
+ Denny Hamlin escaped several multiple-car crashes in the closing laps to win his second Daytona 500 as Toyotas from Joe Gibbs Racing finished in the top three places. More at CBS Sports.
+ A Nissan governance committee will recommend the appointment of an external director as board chairman in a bid to decentralize power at the automaker. More at Investing.com.
+ Car dealers and industry analysts are expressing alarm over a proposal from the Trump administration to impose a 20 to 25 percent tariff on imported automobiles and parts. More at USA Today.
+ An Alabama jury awarded $151.8 million to a young man paralyzed in a 2015 rollover accident involving a 1998 Ford Explorer SUV in which he was a passenger. More at Reuters.
+ A pair of vintage Hindustan Ambassadors will be featured at India’s first formal collector car auction, to be conducted by Osian’s in New Delhi on February 27. More at Hemmings Daily.
+ High-performance classic sports cars from Shelby, Maserati, and Ferrari will be among the consignments at the RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island auction. More at Classic Cars.com Journal.
+ Scott Harner, a co-team manager at Chip Ganassi Racing until recent weeks, has joined the A.J. Foyt Racing IndyCar organization as vice-president of operations. More at Racer.
Review the previous Executive Briefing from February 15 here.
Photo by Lucas Scarfone courtesy and copyright RM Sotheby’s.
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I would totally buy a new compact pickup. Come on Detroit!
I would also, but not one that is uni-body and probably front wheel drive. The first time you put 1000 lbs in the bed it will look like a sway back plow horse. I’ll keep my ‘99 S-10.
A compact truck would probably only have a weight rating of 1/4 ton at the most. It would be marketed toward suburban dwellers who wanted to haul a few bags of mulch and a rose bush or two and not get the floor of their SUV dirty. It will probably be similar to the Explorer Sport Trac with a 4.5 foot bed, small enough to discourage owners from hauling heavy loads. For those that need to haul real loads, they will be steered toward the F series.
But you know there will always be that guy [or gal] who thinks just because they have a pickup bed they can load it like a semi truck!