A 24 Hours of Spa winner, this 1948 Aston Martin 2-litre works team car is expected to bring up to $900,000 at the 2015 Bonhams Quail Lodge sale in August. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s headlines:
+ Tesla has introduced its PowerWall lithium-ion home battery system, offering a 7 kilowatt-hour model priced at $3,000 and a 10 kWh version at $3,500. More at NPR.
+ Hady Zehtabzadeh, owner of Superior Engineering, Inc., has been charged with conspiracy to commit fraud after allegedly partnering with a Ford executive in a kickback scheme. More at The Detroit News.
+ Michigan-based American Axle & Manufacturing beat analysts’ estimates for the first quarter with $53.2 million in net earnings, up from $33.6 million for the same period last year. More at Aftermarket News.
+ Geoff Duke, a six-time world champion and six-time winner at the Isle of Man who was often described as motorcycle racing’s first major star, is dead at 92. More at BBC Sport.
+ By a comfortable margin, the Toyota Camry again led the midsize sedan segment in the USA in April with 34,000 sales, followed by the Honda Accord and Ford Fusion. More at Motor Trend.
+ MSX International Inc. will relocate its North American operations center and 325 employees from its present site in Warren, Michigan to a 30 percent larger facility at Travelers Towers in Southfield. More at Crain’s Detroit Business.
+ Former Chrysler engineer Tom Hoover, a founding member of the Ramchargers and the father of the 426 Hemi, has passed away at 85. More at Hemmings Daily.
+ Ford is expanding its recent door latch recall of 390,000 vehicles to include another 156,000 more Fusion, Fiesta, and Lincoln MKZ models. More at Reuters.
+ Chevrolet has officially set the list price for the 2016 Volt hybrid at $33,995 including destination fee, $1,175 less than the previous model. More at Automobile.
+ Early offerings at the Bonhams Quail Lodge sale on August 13-14 include an 1953 Fiat 8V Supersonic and a 1948 Aston Martin 2-litre works car. More at Sports Car Digest.
+ The Force India and Sauber Formula One teams have given their support to a proposal by former FIA president Max Mosley for team budget caps. More at NBC Sports.
For the previous Executive Briefing from May 1, click here.
What a loss, Tom Hoover and Geoff Duke in the same week. This is the passing of a generation.
The Tesla Power Wall is a game changer. It enables all kinds of alternative energy sources for homes and farms.