At $1.765 million, this rare 1930 Packard 734 Boattail Runabout was the top seller at the Gooding & Company Amelia Island sale. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s Headlines:
+ Consumer Reports has issued its 2019 survey of the 10 least reliable vehicles, with this year’s list led by the Jaguar F-Pace, Buick Enclave, and Tesla Model X. More at Consumer Reports.
+ At the Tesla design center in Hawthorne, California, company founder Elon Musk introduced the Tesla Model Y, an all-electric SUV based on the popular Model 3. More at The Verge.
+ Toyota announced it will invest $749 million in five U.S. plants and add 586 jobs as it boosts engine production capacity and adds new hybrid models to its lineup. More at Reuters.
+ Charlie Whiting, Formula 1 race director for more than 30 years and former chief engineer at Brabham, has died suddenly at 66 after suffering a pulmonary embolism. More at BBC Sport.
+ Following a handful of well-publicized accidents, an AAA survey found that 71 percent of Americans are wary of riding in autonomous vehicles, up from 63 percent last year. More at Motor Trend.
+ U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan is pressing for legislation that would require cars to be equipped with technology to prevent driving while intoxicated. More at The Detroit News.
+ Bugatti CEO Stephan Winkelmann says the company could produce an electric sports car with a lower price than its customary high-end exotics. More at CNET Roadshow.
+ Million-dollar sellers at the Gooding & Company Amelia Island auction included a 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso at $1.23 million and a 1930 Packard 734 Boattail at $1.765 million. More at Hemmings Daily.
+ In his first year of eligibility for the honor, three-time Cup champion and team owner Tony Stewart leads this year’s list of 20 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. More at USA Today.
+ Beginning in 2020, Cadillac will include torque ratings in newton-meters in the model names of its vehicles, with the XT6 becoming the XT6 400, for example. More at Motor Authority.
+ A freak blizzard with cyclone-force winds produced a disastrous 100-car pileup on Interstate 25 near Wellington, Colorado, but fortunately there were no fatalities. More at The Drive.
+ Three NASCAR Chevrolets raced by Dale Earnhardt Sr. and two more Chevy Cup cars driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr. will cross the block at the Mecum Arizona auction this weekend. More at NBC Sports.
Review the previous Executive Briefing from March 11 here.
Photos by Brian Henniker, copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company.
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