A tricked-out 1965 Aston Martin DB5 used to promote the James Bond movie Thunderball will be among the headliners at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s Headlines:
+ The U.S. auto industry is heading toward a nearly 30 percent decline in sales by 2022, predicts John Murphy, senior auto analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. More at The Detroit News.
+ Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess says the German automaker is close to sealing a deal with Ford to share electric car and autonomous driving technology. More at Automotive News Europe.
+ The Trump administration has denied exemption requests from General Motors, Tesla, and Uber from the U.S. government’s 25 percent tariff on Chinese goods. More at Reuters.
+ Nationwide Insurance, which sponsored the Rick Hendrick Chevrolets of now-retired NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr., will leave the team at the end of 2019. More at NBC Sports.
+ Richard P. Kughn, the Detroit real estate developer and noted classic car collector known for rescuing the Lionel toy train company, has passed away at 89. More at the Dearborn Press & Guide.
+ David Woodhouse, who only last week resigned as design director at Ford’s Lincoln division, has been appointed vice president and director of Nissan Design America. More at Carscoops.
+ Under a program called Second Skin, Porsche will offer custom racing-style body wraps on new 911, Boxster, and Cayman models at prices of $4,500 and up. More at The Drive.
+ Swedish exotic car builder Koenigsegg has unveiled a Red Cherry Edition of the Jesko supercar with distinctive deep metallic red paint and black carbon fiber accents. More at Autoblog.
+ A gadget-equipped Aston Martin DB5 built to promote the James Bond movie Thunderball will be offered at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale. More at Classic Cars.com Journal.
+ Formula 1 officials have decided to delay the final presentation of its 2021 rules until the end of October following a meeting with team principals and series stakeholders. More at Racer.
Review the previous Executive Briefing from June 10 here.
Photo by Simon Clay courtesy and copyright RM Sotheby’s.
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The automakers are in a very tricky spot. They are preparing for electric, autonomous, and mobility services, and for a major industry downturn at the same time.
Electric vehicles will never be more than a portion of market share, the electric grid simply can’t handle a total electric transportation system. Same thing with autonomous vehicles, they are years away from being ready for all areas of the country, especially rural areas. Maybe some day, but not the near future.
As to mobility services like uber, I just don’t understand people’s fascination with them. They really are nothing more than a taxi service, which we have had in this country for years. I guess the thrill of getting into a strange persons vehicle without the protection of the driver being hired through a taxi company, some of which are sketchy also, overrides some people’s sense of danger. Must be these young adults that are too lazy to get a license and drive themselves, they’d rather be ridden around by someone else like their parents did them when they were kids.
Guess I’m getting too old to understand things anymore…..