This rare 1963 Impala Z11 factory lightweight drag car from the Don Fezell collection will headline the Mecum Auctions Kissimmee sale on January 6-15, 2017. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing. 

Today’s headlines:

+   The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has confirmed the 11th fatality in the United States caused by a ruptured Takata airbag inflator, More at Reuters. 

+   Faraday Future, the China-backed, California-based electric vehicle maker, will unveil its first production car in January at the CES 2017 technology trade show in Las Vegas. More at The Detroit News. 

+   Shares in Snap-On jumped more than 6 percent when the automotive tool manufacturer reported better than expected earnings of $2.22 per share. More at CNBC.

+   Gene Haas has hinted his Haas Formula 1 team could wait until the end of the season before declaring its 2017 driver line-up, though Romain Grosjean is expected to stay on. More at Racer.

+   Chevrolet has previewed two customized theme vehicles to be displayed at the SEMA trade show next month, the Blue Line Cruze and Blue Line Malibu concepts. More at Motor Trend. 

+   Ford will temporarily idle four of its North American assembly plants to align production with demand as sales decline from near-record highs. More at the Detroit Free Press. 

+   Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Nissan Motors and Renault, will become chairman of Mitsubishi Motors as Nissan takes a $2.3 billion, 34 percent stake in Mitsubishi. More at UPI. 

+   A selection of 42 rare American muscle cars from the Don Fezell collection will be among the feature attractions at the Mecum Auctions 2017 Kissimmee sale in January. More at Hemmings Daily. 

+   Plans are underway to bring the European TCR Touring Car series format to Australia, with organizers hoping for a six-race schedule in 2017 including the Bathurst 12 Hour. More at Motorsport.com. 

+   For this year’s car in its annual Christmas book, Nieman Marcus has selected a limited-edition Infiniti Q60 based on the 400-horsepower Red Sport 400 model. More at Autoblog. 

Review the previous Executive Briefing from October 17 here.

Photo courtesy of Mecum Auctions. 

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