In response to consumer demand, Ford and other carmakers are rolling out more affordable base models. Get all the latest automotive news in the Executive Briefing.
+ The Detroit Regional Chamber and United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain have sternly criticized President Trump’s tariff policy, predicting it will damage the auto industry. More at the Detroit Free Press.
+ Global group sales at Toyota slipped 3.7 percent to 10.8 million vehicles in 2024 as sales fell sharply in Japan, but the company retained its position as the world’s largest automaker. More at Motor Illustrated.
+ Stellantis North America executives revealed their 2025 growth strategy in a closed-door meeting with dealers, promising greater ad budgets and a competitive incentive plan. More at CBT News.
+ Tim Cindric, president of Team Penske for the past 25 years, will step away from his overall management responsibilities to focus on the IndyCar portion of the operation. More at Racer.
+ Porsche’s supervisory board has started talks to end the contracts of finance chief Lutz Meschke and sales executive Detlev von Platen early, the German carmaker reports. More at Yahoo! Finance.
+ In response to disappointing sales, Infiniti is offering discounts and incentives of up to $16,000 on its QX80 luxury flagship SUV, which is normally priced at $84,445 to start. More at The Drive.
+ Dodge confirmed that the gasoline-powered Charger Sixpack with a choice of Hurricane 3.0 liter twin-turbo sixes with 420 hp or 550 hp will be available in showrooms in 2025. More at Autoblog.
+ Ford, Mini, Mitsubishi, and Ram all plan to introduce more affordable trim levels for its existing models, responding to greater sales volume for low-priced vehicles in 2024. More at Car and Driver.
+ Northvolt co-founder Paolo Cerruti will step down from his position as chief executive officer of its North American division, the Swedish EV battery maker announced. More at World Auto Forum.
+ Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Bill Elliott, Ken Schrader, Bobby Labonte, Danny Sullivan, and Scott Pruett will compete in the IROC event at the Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca. More at Jayski.
Photo courtesy of Ford.
Review the previous MCG Executive Briefing from January 31 here.
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https://www.carscoops.com/2025/01/uaw-supports-trumps-tariff-push-despite-endorsing-harris/
“We need tariffs not only to protect our communities but also to create leverage for negotiating a fair-trade system,” Fain added. “American workers deserve tariff rate quotas that guarantee a significant percentage of goods sold in the United States are made right here at home. We need to know that if we go to work and build a good product, our jobs won’t be offshored just so companies can do another round of stock buybacks.”
Fain agrees with Trump about tariffs. He doesn’t agree with Trump’s use of tariffs, a degree of nuance often lost in our nation’s political discussion.
That makes sense. I had been confused by what I thought was a flip-flop.
Slant six Chargers were suck a big seller before, let’s do it again!