Once owned by Rolling Stone Keith Richards, this 1965 Bentley S3 Continental Flying Spur was among the top sellers at the Bonhams Goodwood Revival sale, hammering down for $1.18 million. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s headlines:
+ The tentative four-year deal between the United Auto Workers and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles would move the company’s domestic car production to Mexico while SUV and truck production are concentrated in the U.S. More at The Detroit News.
+ General Motors has agreed to pay a $900 million settlement in a U.S. Justice Department investigation into its failure to correct an ignition-switch defect blamed for more than 120 deaths. More at USA Today.
+ Daimler North America will move its national headquarters and 30 administrative jobs from New Jersey to Farmington Hills, Michigan. More at Crain’s Detroit Business.
+ Bill “Maverick” Golden, who campaigned the Little Red Wagon exhibition wheelstander at drag strips across the country for decades, is dead at 82. More at Hemmings Daily.
+ Toyota will recall approximately 423,500 RAV4 compact SUVs in North America to correct a defect in the windshield wiper linkage. More at Reuters.
+ Ferrari CEO Amadeo Felisa has confirmed that there may well may be a compact, lightweight V6 sports car in the company’s future product plans. More at Motor Trend.
+ The International Speedway Corporation has notified Monterey County officials that it will not submit a proposal to manage Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. More at the Monterey Herald.
+ According to trademark filings, Amazon’s new TV program starring former Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond could be called Gear Knobs. More at Autoblog.com.
+ At the Frankfurt Motor Show, Porsche unveiled its Mission E concept, a battery-powered four-door sedan with a projected range of 300 miles. More at Ars Technica.
+ Top sellers at the Bonhams Goodwood Revival sale included an ex-Keith Richards Bentley Continental at $1.18 million and a 1965 Aston Martin DB5 convertible that went for $1.68 million. More at Sports Car Digest.
+ Jenson Button of Great Britain, now 35, says he will only continue his Formula 1 career with McLaren and has no interest in joining any other team for 2016. More at BBC Sport.
Read the previous Executive Briefing from September 14 here.
Photo courtesy of Bonhams.
The Chrysler deal makes sense in that the higher margins are in the pickups and SUVS, but it is a little troubling.
RIP Bill Maverick Golden. Got to see him back in the mid 80’s at a 1/8 mile strip when my boys were small, they {and me} totally enjoyed watching him walk the Little Red Wagon down the strip, turn around, and then do it back toward the starting line! A great performer, and loved his fans. Got a pic around here somewhere on a 35mm print of two beaming youngsters standing beside Bill and the truck. Great memories!