MCG Executive Briefing for October 16, 2020

At $346,000, this 1969 Mustang Boss 429 was among the top 10 sellers at the Bonhams Simeone Foundation auction. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.

 

Today’s Headlines:

 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will invest up to $1.5 billion in its Windsor, Ontario plant to build electric vehicles as part of its new deal with Unifor, the Canadian autoworkers’ union. More at Reuters. 

+  Jon Huntsman Jr., the former Utah governor, ambassador, and businessman, will return to Ford’s board of directors to help guide the company’s business in China. More at The Detroit News. 

+   The road-legal Ariel Atom 4, with up to 354 turbocharged horsepower and a curb weight of just 1,312 lbs, will now be available in the USA from a plant in Virginia. More at The Drive. 

 The best-selling vehicle in the United States, the Ford F-series pickup, has now become the nation’s most frequently stolen vehicle as well, with nearly 39,000 thefts in 2019. More at Autoblog. 

 Seven-time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus and will not race his Monster Energy Yamaha in next week’s Teruel Grand Prix. More at Cycle News. 

 EV startup Fisker says the upcoming 2022 Ocean SUV will use a drivetrain supplied by Magna rather than the Volkswagen MEB platform previously announced. More at Car and Driver. 

 Don Hayter, the last chief engineer employed by famed British sports car maker MG of Abingdon and the designer of the MGB, has passed away at the age of 94. More at Hemmings Daily. 

+   Bonhams reported an 82 percent sell-through rate and $3.32 million on sales for its annual auction at Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia. More at Classic Cars.com Journal.

 Erik Jones, who will leave the no. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota at season’s end, is in negotiations with Richard Petty Motorsports to drive the no. 43 Chevrolet in 2021. More at Jayski. 

+   Elon Musk announced via Twitter that Tesla Inc. has lowered the base price of its Model S sedan from $71,900 to $69,420, a jab at the $69,900 price of the Lucid Air. More at USA Today. 

Review the previous Executive Briefing from October 12 here.

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