The prized 1901 Panhard-Levassor known as Le Papillon Bleu was the top seller at the Bonhams London to Brighton auction, finding a new home at $573,410. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s Headlines:
+ In a surprise Monday morning press release, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation announced that the Speedway and the IndyCar series have been sold to Roger Penske’s Penske Corporation. More at WTHR Indianapolis.
+ United Auto Workers president Gary Jones has taken a leave of absence amid growing accusations of fraud and corruption among the union’s top leadership. More at the Detroit Free Press.
+ Germany needs to advance from 20,000 to 1,000,000 charging stations for electric vehicles nationwide by 2030, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced in a video address. More at Reuters.
+ With a second-place finish in the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas, Lewis Hamilton locked up his sixth Formula 1 world championship. More at the UK Guardian.
+ Ford has formally confirmed 2020 as the arrival date for a new Bronco 4×4 sport utility based on the Ranger mid-sized pickup and built in the same Wayne, Michigan plant. More at Motor Trend.
+ In Norway, where more than one-third of the new vehicle sales are electrics, the Audi e-Tron electric SUV is the nation’s number-one seller with an 8.3 percent market share. More at Autoblog.
+ Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group aim to sign a final merger agreement as early as the beginning of next month, according to sources familiar with the matter. More at Automotive News Europe.
+ President Donald Trump has nominated Stephen Biegun, a former Ford vice president of international government affairs, to the post of deputy secretary of state. More at The Detroit News.
+ Top sellers at the Bonhams annual London to Brighton auction included a 1901 Panhard-Levassor at $573,410 and a 1900 M.M.C. Charette at $290,428. More at Classic Cars.com Journal.
+ NASCAR veteran Kurt Busch, 41, has signed a multi-year deal with Monster Energy and Chip Ganassi Racing to continue to drive the team’s no. 1 Chevrolet Camaro. More at Motorsport.com.
+ According to research by J.D. Power for Driving.ca, sales of electric cars exceeded those of fossil-fuel vehicles with manual transmissions in the third quarter of 2019. More at The Drive.
Review the previous Executive Briefing from November 1 here.
Photo copyright and courtesy of Bonhams.
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