At a fee-inclusive $1.05 million, this 1964 Shelby 289 Cobra cracked the million-dollar bracket at the Gooding & Company Scottsdale Sale. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s Headlines:
+ Ford Motor Co. CEO Jim Hackett wants employees to “bury” this year “in a deep grave” and focus on doubling the company’s profit margins over 2018 levels. More at The Detroit News.
+ French President Emmanuel Macron said he has expressed concern to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe over the prison conditions faced by former Renault boss Carlos Ghosn. More at Reuters.
+ Chevrolet has introduced four Driver Series editions of the Corvette Grand Sport with color schemes representing Antonio Garcia, Oliver Gavin, Jan Magnussen, and Tommy Milner. More at Autoblog.
+ Volkswagen is counting on savings from its newly-reorganized components division and greater vertical integration to free up funds to invest in electric-car technology. More at Automotive News Europe.
+ Retired NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon says he would be “truly honored” to take over majority ownership of Hendrick Motorsports as Rick Hendrick recently suggested. More at NBC Sports.
+ Aligning with similar plans by Ford, Tesla, and Rivian, the GMC division is studying the development of an all-electric pickup, but no target date has been announced. More at Motor Trend.
+ A pair of Shelby 289 Cobras, CSX 2246 and CSX2448, joined five vintage Ferraris among the top 10 sellers at the Gooding & Company Scottsdale auction. More at Hemmings Daily.
+ Heavy rain forced an early end to the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, with the Cadillac DPi of Fernando Alonso, Kamui Kobayashi, Jordan Taylor, and Renger van der Zande flagged as the winners. More at the Orlando Sentinel.
+ According to a study by iseecars.com, Toyota owners keep their cars longer than any other brands, with the Highlander, Prius, and Siena leading the national rankings. More at the Detroit Free Press.
+ In an effort to win over disenchanted fans, ESPN reportedly will continue to broadcast Formula 1 events commercial-free throughout the 2019 season. More at Road & Track.
+ Actor-producer Vin Diesel confirmed that a spinoff from the Fast and Furious movie franchise is in development with an all-female cast and screenwriting team. More at The Drive.
Review the previous Executive Briefing from January 25 here.
Photo by Mathieu Heurtault, copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company.
Have you joined Mac’s Motor City Garage on Facebook? It’s lots of fun with rare photos, lore, trivia, and great discussions. Click here to go the page and join MCG. Be sure to check out our companion Facebook group MOTOROLOGY, too.
Oops, I should have bought a Cobra last month when they were only $990G’s.
Mr. Hackett’s plea to the associates has more than a whiff of desperation to it.
Ford and GM have both made some bone head decisions in the last few years, dropping popular models, investing in vehicles only a small percentage of the market wants, etc. Dismal styling hasn’t helped, either. For years you could tell a Ford from a GM from a Chrysler, now everything is a smooth slick blob without any character and all resemble each other. Take off the nameplates and most people wouldn’t know the difference. I hope they all get their ships righted, I’d hate to lose this industry to offshore companies like we have so many others.