MCG Executive Briefing for November 7, 2016

1964-porsche-904A rare 1964 Porsche 904 coupe that boasts its original body, engine, and interior is among the early consignments for the 2017 Bonhams Scottsdale auction in January. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing. 

 

 

 

Today’s headlines:

+   Members of Unifor, the Candadian auto workers’ union, have ratified a new three-year contract with Ford that includes investments in the automaker’s Canadian plants. More at the Detroit Free Press. 

+   General Motors’ Opel division will launch its biggest product offensive to date with seven new Opel and Vauxhall models in the coming year. More at Automotive News Europe. 

+   Regulators in California have discovered an emissions defeat device in the software of several Audi gasoline models, a dramatic broadening of the Volkswagen emissions fraud scandal. More at the Wall Street Journal. 

+   In a reversal of strategy, Toyota is studying the production of long-range electric vehicles that would debut around 2020, reports The Nikkei, the Japanese financial daily. More at Reuters. 

+   Promoter Francois Dumontier says track upgrades and other issues have been resolved and the Canadian Grand Prix is secure on the 2017 Formula 1 calendar. More at Racer. 

+   The site of the historic Willow Run General Motors plant has been purchased for $1.2 million by the American Center for Mobility, which will operate a test facility for self-driving cars. More at The Detroit News. 

+   Renault hopes to sell an electric vehicle in China that will cost as little as $8,000 after government incentives, which could amount to $20,000 per vehicle, says CEO Carlos Ghosn. More at Autoblog. 

+   BMW posted flat third-quarter operating profits as investments in new technologies and hiring staff ate into a 7.1 percent increase in sales of premium vehicles. More at CNBC. 

+   Via Twitter, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk announced a full-length glass roof option for the Model S and an easter egg for the P100D Ludicrous model to unleash more performance. More at Motor Trend. 

+   A 1964 Porsche 904 GTS and a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB are among the noteworthy early consignments for the 2017 Bonhams Scottsdale auction on January 19. More at Sports Car Digest. 

+   Driver Matt DiBenedetto was sidelined from Sunday’s Sprint Cup event in Texas by NASCAR’s new concussion protocol following a crash in the Xfinity series race. More at Sporting News.

Review the previous Executive Briefing from November 4 here.

Photo courtesy of Bonhams. 

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