The Academy of Art University in San Francisco will send 52 more cars to the Mecum Las Vegas sale on November 15-17, including this 1949 Kaiser Virginian. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s Headlines:
+ A longtime investor is urging Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to sell its European business and spin off the Maserati and Alfa Romeo brands to focus on U.S. products. More at Automotive News Europe.
+ General Motors is moving around 3,000 employees from its Global Propulsion Systems center in Pontiac, Michigan to the Technical Center in Warren, 20 miles southeast. More at the Detroit Free Press.
+ BMW disclosed that the M8 coupe, now in final testing before it goes into production, will offer more than 600 horsepower from its twin-turbo V8. More at Motor Trend.
+ At Phoenix, the final four drivers were set for the NASCAR Monster Cup championship finale in Miami: Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., and Joey Logano. More at Motorsport.com.
+ Ford expects to start renovation work on the Michigan Central Station in Detroit before the end of 2018, with a projected reopening date sometime in 2022. More at The Detroit News.
+ Discarding the name Scrambler, Jeep will instead call its soon-to-be-released Wrangler-based pickup the Gladiator, a name first used on Jeep pickups back in 1963. More at Autoblog.
+ A spokesman for Volkswagen denied a media report claiming the carmaker was prepared to reimburse owners for diesel hardware retrofits to correct emissions defects. More at Reuters.
+ The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) announced that the Pro Stock Eliminator category will be contested at only 18 national events next year instead of all 24 dates. More at Yahoo! Sports. .
+ Following the successful sale of seven cars at Mecum Monterey, The Academy of Art University will send 52 more vehicles to the Mecum Las Vegas sale. More at Classic Cars.com Journal.
+ Federal authorities in California have charged Salil Parulekar, a former Tesla employee, of embezzling $9.3 million from the company in a fraudulent billing scheme. More at USA Today.
+ As expected, the McLaren F1 organization will build a team to compete in the 2019 Indianapolis 500 with driver Fernando Alonso, who was Indy’s Rookie of the Year in 2017. More at the Indianapolis Star.
Review the previous Executive Briefing from November 9 here.
Photo courtesy of Mecum Auctions.
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The Tesla story is a familiar one. There are controls but sneaky people figure out ways around them.
…meanwhile in Australia the Consumer and Corporate watchdog sits on its hands while Jokeswaggen reprograms your automobile to use more fuel and offer decreased performance as compensation for buying one of their diesel dogs. Woof Woof
The 1940s were not exactly a golden age of automotive styling, making the Virginian Phaeton a rare stunner. Sales did not justify the cost of developing a Kaiser-Frazer drop top, unless you count the joy we get studying those deliciously complex side windows.