This 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 Spider with stunning Bertone coachwork is expected to bring up to $3 million at the Gooding and Company Pebble Beach sale. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s headlines:
+ Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne warned that protectionist trade policies proposed by presidential candidate Donald Trump would alter the automaker’s operations in North America. More at The Detroit News.
+ Three workers were injured at the new $1 billion Kia Motors plant in Pesqueria, Mexico just outside Monterrey when a man fell into a sewer ditch and two more men attempted to rescue him. More at Reuters.
+ Annual summer production shutdowns will be shorter than normal for the Detroit Three auto plants due to strong demand for pickups, SUVs, and crossovers. More at the Detroit Free Press.
+ Toyota faltered in the final moments of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, handing the overall victory to the Porsche 919 Hybrid, while a Ford GT won the GTE-Pro category in the automaker’s historic return to the event. More at Racer.
+ Idemitsu Lubricants America, a division of Japanese petroleum giant Idemitsu Kosan, has opened a $2.4 million research and development facility in Wixom, Michigan, a Detroit suburb. More at Crain’s Detroit Business.
+ Volkswagen AG will phase out production of more than 40 models in the next few years as it overhauls its product strategy, the German business newspaper Handelsblatt reported. More at Euronews.
+ Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is considering an all-electric version of the Maserati Alfieri sports car and a battery-powered city car as well, says CEO Sergio Marchionne. More at Bloomberg.com.
+ A selection of coachbuilt autos will be among the featured entries for the Gooding and Company Pebble Beach 2016 auction on August 20-21 during Monterey Classic Car Week. More at Sports Car Digest.
+ Three North Carolina men were arrested and charged with assault following an attack on NASCAR veteran Mike Wallace and his daughter after a Rascal Flatts concert in Charlotte. More at Fox 8 Charlotte.
+ The Ducati motorcycle brand is not for sale, asserts Audi chief executive Rupert Stadler, who added that Volkswagen’s Lamborghini division is secure as well. More at Autoblog.
Review the previous Executive Briefing from June 17 here.
Photo courtesy of Gooding and Company.
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