The Dodge Charger Hellcat is the most popular car in the USA among car thieves, with a theft rate 60 times the national average. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s headlines:
+ Unifor, the Canadian auto workers’ union, has selected Ford as its negotiating target in current contract talks, pausing its discussions with General Motors and Stellantis. More at the Detroit Free Press.
+ Volkswagen will kill off the manual-transmission version of the Golf GTI in 2024, but will offer a final stick-shift sendoff edition this fall called the GTI 380 and priced at $32,485. More at Autoweek.
+ The Biden administration is offering $12 billion in grants and loans for automakers and suppliers to retrofit their plants to produce electric and other advanced vehicles. More at Reuters. .
+ Seven-time Formula 1 champion and 103-time race winner Lewis Hamilton, 38, has signed a two-year contract extension with Mercedes, keeping him with the team through 2025. More at Sports Illustrated.
+ A General Motors engineer sustained severe injuries in the crash of a 2023 Corvette Z06 at the Milford Proving Ground in June, though the incident was made public this week. More at GM Authority.
+ Hyundai and LG Energy Solution will spend an additional $2 billion and hire an extra 400 workers to produce EV batteries at their massive plant now under construction in Georgia. More at The Detroit News.
+ Ford plans to discontinue the Edge and Escape SUVs and the Transit Connect van as it shifts more production to electric vehicles, including a new pickup due to appear in 2025. More at Autoblog.
+ Featured attractions at the inaugural Barrett-Jackon New Orleans Auction on September 28-30 will include a custom 1966 Lincoln and a Hummer EV SUV with VIN 001. More at Old Cars.
+ With a theft rate 60 times the national average, the Dodge Charger Hellcat is the most popular car in the USA among car thieves, with the standard V8 Charger a distant second. More at The Drive.
+ Linus Lundqvist, the 2022 champion in the junior Indy NXT series, has signed a multiyear deal to race in the IndyCar Series for Chip Ganassi Racing starting in 2024. More at NBC Sports.
Photo courtesy of Stellantis.
Review the previous MCG Executive Briefing from August 25 here.
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This Farley clown really is trying to get Ford to commit suicide.
I agree. I thought he was going to go the sensible route and offer a mix of vehicles, but it looks like he has drunk the Kool Aid. If the poor quality doesn’t kill them, the lack of selection will.