The famed Spurgin Giovanine lakes roadster, the SCTA champion of 1948, will be among the featured offerings at the Gooding and Company Scottsdale auction. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing. 

Today’s Headlines: 

+   Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn, accused of violating Japan’s financial laws, will mount a “vigorous defense” in court, his son told a French newspaper. More at Bloomberg.com. 

+   With total sales of 66,316 units in 2018, the Dodge Challenger had its best year since its 2008 relaunch, but still failed to top the Ford Mustang, the perennial class leader. More at The Drive.  

+   New-vehicle sales fell 6.7 percent in Germany in December with Peugeot, Nissan, Renault, Ford, and the Volkswagen Group brands among the biggest losers. More at Automotive News Europe.

+   Maurizio Arrivabene will be replaced as team principal of the Ferrari Formula 1 organization by technical chief Mattia Binotto, senior sources have confirmed. More at Autosport. 

+   Nissan’s luxury Infiniti brand is teasing images of its electric SUV concept, the QX Inspiration, in advance of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. More at Motor Trend. 

+   According to an Experian study, the average new-car monthly payment climbed to $530 in the third quarter of 2018, with the average used-car loan payment at $381. More at CNBC.

+   With partial UK government backing, a program at Rolls-Royce named ACCEL (Accelerating the Electrification of Flight) plans to exceed 300 mph with an electric aircraft. More at Autoblog. 

+   The German State of Baden-Wuerttemberg has filed suit against Volkswagen after authorities purchased diesel vehicles that are now banned in several cities. More at Reuters.  

+   Pre-auction estimates for the Spurgin Giovanine roadster at the Gooding and Company Scottsdale sale on Jan. 18-19 range from $250,000 to $350,000. More at Classic Cars.com Journal. 

+   Team Penske has named Jefferson Hodges, former general manager and director of competition at Max Siegel’s Rev Racing, as NASCAR team manager. More at Motorsport.com. 

Review the previous Executive Briefing from January 4 here.

Photo by Gooding and Company. 

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