This famed 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Touring Spider from the collection of Sam and Emily Mann will be among the stars of the RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction on August 19-20. Get all the latest automotive news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s headlines:
+ General Motors is reevaluating its $1 billion investment in India and has placed on hold a new modular vehicle platform specifically designed for the market. More at Reuters.
+ Audi aims to have three electric models by 2020 and for electric vehicles to account for 25 to 30 percent of its sales by 2025, CEO Rupert Stadler told the German newspaper Heilbronner Stimme. More at Automotive News Europe.
+ Tesla Motors and solar power supplier SolarCity, both controlled by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, are said to be close to a merger agreement. More at Yahoo! Finance.
+ Chinese-owned Key Safety Systems, the world’s fourth largest airbag maker, plans to make an ownership bid for troubled Japanese airbag supplier Takata. More at The Detroit News.
+ At this past weekend’s Brickyard 400, it was quietly revealed that Tony George has returned as chairman of Hulman & Company, which owns the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. More at Fox 59 Indianapolis.
+ The next-generation Land Rover Discovery due in 2017 will be moved upmarket to compete against the ultra-luxury SUVs of Bentley and Rolls-Royce, reports say. More at Motor Trend.
+ William Chapin, president of the Automotive Hall of Fame, announced plans to move the organization’as headquarters from Dearborn to downtown Detroit. More at the Detroit Free Press.
+ Rumors have Toyota working on a new-generation Supra sports car to be built in Austria in partnership with BMW and powered by a Lexus twin-turbo V6. More at Autoblog.
+ Five exceptional cars from the Sam and Emily Mann collection will be among the star attractions at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2016 auction next month. More at Sports Car Digest.
+ Mercedes Formula 1 driver Nico Rosberg has signed to remain with the team for another two years alongside Lewis Hamilton, in a deal reportedly worth nearly $40 million per year. More at the UK Telegraph.
Review the previous Executive Briefing from July 22 here.
Photo by Darin Schnabel courtesy of RM Sotheby’s.
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