This Bugatti T101 designed by Virgil Exner will be featured in a special category called “American Dream Cars of the Sixties” at the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours in August. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s headlines:
+ Though U.S. sales slipped, Ford Motor Co. and its joint venture partners sold 100,561 vehicles in China in June, a 15 percent increase over the same period last year. More at The Detroit News.
+ European Union and Japanese leaders endorsed a preliminary free-trade agreement as they seek to counter President Donald Trump’s protectionist positions. More at Bloomberg.com.
+ New York’s Museum of Modern Art has added a 1968 Fiat 500F to its permanent collection, sharing gallery space with the 1959 Volkswagen and 1961 Jaguar E-Type. More at Motor Trend.
+ Penske Racing and Honda Performance Development are expected to unveil Penske’s new IMSA prototype racing team at Monterey Classic Car Week in California in August. More at Racer.
+ Share prices of Tesla tumbled when the new Tesla 3 sedan failed to achieve a top score in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash testing. More at NBC News.
+ Sweden-based Volvo, owned by Chinese automaker Geely, announced that all new vehicles launched after 2019 will be electric or hybrid vehicles. More at USA Today.
+ Detroit firefighters were called to the scene of a pump explosion at the General Motors Hamtramck assembly plant that injured three workers, one requiring a hospital visit. More at the Detroit Free Press.
+ A special exhibition called “American Dream Cars of the Sixties” at the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours will feature one-of-a-kind customs and concepts with U.S. roots. More at Hemmings Daily.
+ The Ferrari Formula 1 team reportedly has parted ways with Lorenzo Sassi, its chief engine and power unit designer, at the behest of CEO Sergio Marchionne. More at Motorsport.com.
+ French automaker PSA Group has received approval from the European Union antitrust authorities for the acquisition of Opel and Vauxhall brands from General Motors. More at Automotive Business Review.
Review the previous Executive Briefing from July 3 here.
Photo courtesy of Pebble Beach Concours.
Have you joined Mac’s Motor City Garage on Facebook? It’s lots of fun with rare photos, car lore, trivia, and great discussions. Click here to go the page and join MCG. Be sure to check out our companion Facebook page MOTOROLOGY, too.
So I guess that Volvo will fold only selling hybrids and electric cars, even in 2025 I very much doubt the market will cop them in viable numbers.
The announcement sounds more radical than it is. It applies only to new models and includes mild hybrids. Most of the production is directed toward China where there are strong directives for electric and hybrid.
Didn’t Exner also do Packard and Duesenberg re-imaginings? They all look very similar. It’s a good look, but a 1967-1970 Pontiac Grand Prix would check most of the boxes for less money.
Kudos to Pebble Beach for having a class like Dream Cars of the Sixties. I’m especially looking forward to the debut of the restored Vivant and Gyro-X.