This 1929 Duesenberg Convertible Berline by Murphy was the top-selling American car at the RM Sotheby’s Auctions America Santa Monica sale, bringing $880,000. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing. 

Today’s headlines:

+   Ford will form a Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Research team based in Dearborn with a second office next to the University of Michigan’s MCity research center in Ann Arbor. More at The Detroit News. 

+   BMW plans to introduce an all-electric version of its 3-Series Line at the Munich Auto Show in September, with a price rumored to be in the $35,000 range. More at CNBC. 

+   The Virginia-based Advance Auto Parts chain has eliminated 475 jobs at the corporate level after two consecutive years of falling retail sales. More at USA Today. 

+   NASCAR driver Kurt Busch, whose current contract with Stewart-Haas Racing is up at the end of the season, says he is confident he will return to the seat next year. More at Racer. 

+   Selected Porsche and Bosch employees are under investigation by German prosecutors to determine if they were involved in Volkswagen’s diesel emissions fraud. More at Reuters. 

+   Sales at McLaren Automotive leaped 99 percent to 3,286 cars and $843.6 million in total revenue in 2016, scoring the best year in the automaker’s history. More at Autoblog. 

+   While still high by historic standards, auto sales will continue to decline through the second half of 2017, according to a new study by Cox Automotive. More at the Detroit Free Press. 

+   Top sellers at the RM Sotheby’s Auctions America Santa Monica sale included a 1960 Mercedes 300SL convertible and a 1929 Duesenberg Berline by Murphy. More at Hemmings Daily. 

+   In an interview with Auto Express at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Audi Sport boss Stephan Winkelmann revealed that future RS models could be rear wheel drive. More at Motor Trend. 

+   Honda IndyCar drivers Ed Jones and Graham Rahal said that despite recent performance gains, Honda-powered cars may struggle on the short oval at Iowa Speedway next week. More at Motorsport.com. 

Review the previous Executive Briefing from June 26 here.  

Photo by Karissa Hosek courtesy RM Sotheby’s. 

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