Featured attractions at the RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island auction, now extended to two days, will include this 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB with a pre-sale estimate of more than $9.5 million. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s headlines:
+ General Motors is investing $47 million to upgrade its Bay City, Michigan and Spring Hill, Tennessee plants as part of a $1 billion plan first announced in January. More at The Detroit News.
+ Automakers Toyota and Suzuki Motor Corp. are reportedly poised to unveil a wide-ranging partnership including procurement and the development of new technologies. More at Reuters.
+ Sunday’s Super Bowl television broadcast featured noteworthy car commercials from Alfa Romeo, Buick, Audi, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, and Mercedes. The commercials can be viewed at Car and Driver.
+ Sterling Heights-based Key Safety Systems has been selected as the favored buyer for embattled Japanese airbag supplier Takata Corp., the Nikkei Asian Review reported. More at Crain’s Detroit Business.
+ A coupe version of the Alfa Romeo Giulia, targeted to compete against the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4, reportedly will be introduced at the Geneva Motor Show on March 7. More at Motor Trend.
+ Stewart-Haas Racing has filed suit against Nature’s Bakery, a principal sponsor on the team’s no. 10 car driven by Danica Patrick, charging “a material breach of contract.” More at Motorsport.com.
+ Callaway Cars has introduced its long-awaited AeroWagon shooting brake package, a part-for-part replacement for the factory hatch that fits all C7 Corvettes. More at Automobile.
+ Ford is exporting an unspecified number of its high-performance pickup, the 2017 F150 Raptor, into the Chinese market in four-door Super Crew trim. More at USA Today.
+ RM Sotheby’s has expanded its annual Amelia Auction sale from one to two days on March 10-11 to include the 58-car Orin Smith collection of European classics. More at Sports Car Digest.
+ Jaguar Land Rover reported that thieves using a stolen semi-tractor stole two trailers full of engines valued at $3.7 million from the Jaguar plant in Solihull, England. More at Autoblog.
+ McLaren has broken with a company tradition since 1981 by dropping the MP4 title from its chassis name, with its 2017 Formula 1 car to be called the MCL32. More at Racer.
Review the previous Executive Briefing from February 3 here.
Photo courtesy of RM Sotheby’s.
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