This 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Belinetta could bring up to $25 million at the Artcurial Motorcars Retromobile auction in Paris. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s Headlines:
+ Partnership talks between Volkswagen Group and Ford Motor have broadened to include autonomous driving technology and shared vehicle manufacturing. More at Automotive News Europe.
+ Bucking Trump administration plans, General Motors is proposing a federal requirement that zero-emission cars make up 25 percent of automaker fleets by 2030. More at The Detroit News.
+ Tesla Inc. has not received a U.S. subpoena related to its Model 3 production forecasts, the electric carmaker asserted, denying media reports of a federal criminal probe. More at Reuters.
+ At the Mexican Grand Prix, British Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton sewed up his fifth world championship, calling it his proudest achievement in the sport to date. More at the UK Guardian.
+ Vehicles with advanced safety features such as automatic emergency braking and lane departure warning can cost twice as much to repair after a collision, says an AAA study. More at Automotive News Europe.
+ Ford unveiled seven 2019 Ranger pickups customized by multiple specialty shops for display at this week’s SEMA performance industry trade show. More at Autoblog.
+ Featured attractions at Artcurial Motorcars’ Retromobile auction on February 9 will include a 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Belinetta, one of five built. More at Classic Cars.com Journal.
+ According to a report from CBC News, more than half the new-car loans in Canada now feature 84-month terms to keep payments low, as sales volume continues to rise. More at The Drive.
+ Cadillac was ranked next to last in the annual Consumer Reports reliability survey of auto brands, with the rest of the Detroit makers also sinking in the latest rankings. More at the Detroit Free Press.
+ NASCAR team owner Roger Penske defended his driver Joey Logano’s last-lap bump-and-run of Martin Truex Jr. to win at Martinsville, sealing a final playoff berth. More at Racer.
Review the previous Executive Briefing from October 26 here.
Photo courtesy of Artcurial Motorcars.
Have you joined Mac’s Motor City Garage on Facebook? It’s lots of fun with rare photos, lore, trivia, and great discussions. Click here to go the page and join MCG. Be sure to check out our companion Facebook group MOTOROLOGY, too.
Wait a sec, crash avoidance systems are more expensive to fix in a crash, um, isn’t that the whole idea of “crash avoidance systems”? And 84 month car loans? I remember 2 years was big deal. You think cars will last that long? Nothing like making payments on a car that needs repair, oops, and it’s just out of warranty too. Cadillac, our best, next to last? Isn’t this a happy briefing,,I tell ya’, turning into a circus.
I am so happy to be driving a car with only a driver airbag (which intermittently flashes that it’s not working). No fancy electronics to go haywire, a simple $3 key for entry and ignition. It’s never left me on the side of the road or needed more than a starter.
I’m guessing that half of those with 84 month loans trade in before the payments are done and all they’ve paid down is interest.
You posted on Friday that Cadillac was working on a master brand strategy and I hope it’s a good one. I once posted in a forum that Cadillac had been the ‘Standard of the World’ up through the first half of the Sixties and was ridiculed. It also wouldn’t hurt Lincoln to aspire to more than near-luxury status. Come back Packard, we forgive you.