Philip Caldwell, the Ford CEO who drove the effort to produce the revolutionary 1986 Taurus, has passed away at 93. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
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+ Jaguar Land Rover, now owned by Tata Motors of India, reported an 7 percent increase in sales driven by greater demand in China. More here at Reuters.
+ Philip Caldwell, who in 1978 became the first CEO at Ford Motor Co. who wasn’t a member of the Ford family, is dead at 93. More here at The Detroit News.
+ General Motors pledged to double the number of production models that achieve 40 mpg and to cut emissions on U.S. vehicles 15 percent by 2016. More here at the Detroit Free Press.
+ NASCAR has decided not to penalize 31 teams discovered running non-standard roof flap spacers at Daytona last week. More here at ESPN.
+ A study by EY finds auto industry executives increasingly optimistic about the economy, but wary of new hiring. More here at Michigan Radio.
+ With the resignation of Southeast Asia chief Martin Apfel, heavy turnover among senior GM executives continues. More here at The Detroit Bureau.
+ Tesla founder Elon Musk says Model S production at the Fremont, California plant has surpassed 400 units a week. More here at The Washington Post.
+ The FIA has launched an investigation into timing problems in the World Rally Championship. More here Yahoo! Eurosport UK.
For the previous Executive Briefing July 8, click here.