This rare 1962 Aston Martin DB4 SS Vantage convertible will star at the Bonhams|Cars Goodwood Revival sale. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s headlines:
+ A group representing the major automakers is urging Congress to fast-track legislation barring Chinese vehicles from the U.S. market before the end of the year. More at The Detroit News.
+ At Ford, F-150 pickup truck production reached its highest level since August 2024 as supplies of aluminum components normalized, with output topping 39,000 units. More at CBT News.
+ Battery-electric vehicles became the UK’s largest individual new-car fuel type in August, with registrations rising by about 30 percent year-on-year to nearly 28,000 units. More at DM News.
+ IndyCar is stiffening its driver licensing qualifications for 2027, making it more difficult for drivers to secure rides on funding alone and placing more value on the IndyNXT series. More at Racer.
+ Now on a major drive to slash operating costs, Honda is asking its suppliers to drastically reduce their prices as the Japanese carmaker aims to save $9.4 billion by 2030. More at Car and Driver.
+ With seven models starting at less than $30,000, Kia set an all-time monthly sales record in August at nearly 84,000 cars and is on track for its fourth consecutive record year. More at The Drive.
+ The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released safety ratings for seven new models, but only two, the Tesla Y and Kia Telluride, earned Top Safety Pick+ awards. More at Autoblog.
+ Stellantis entered a new collective bargaining round with Unifor, the Canadian labor union, as the company cited more than $US 8 billion invested in Canadian operations since 2022. More at Automotive World.
+ As the team expands to three cars, Legacy Motor Club announced that Riley Herbst will drive the No. 84 Toyota in NASCAR Cup starting next season in a multi-year deal. More at Jayski.
+ A rare 1962 Aston Martin DB4 SS Vantage convertible, one of a handful of SS convertibles produced, will be offered at the Bonhams|Cars Goodwood Revival sale. More at Old Cars.
Photo courtesy of Bonhams|Cars.
Review the previous MCG Executive Briefing from August 31 here.
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To solve the plethora of FMVSS EV/AV/ADAS unsolvable immunity digital dillemas and unlimited single point failure mode safety-related defects disclosed in MCG’s Executive Briefings this year, here is my official roster endorsement for the American MTV-USDOT Safety Administration, listed by federal job title, MTV personality, and the specific MTV shows that qualifies each for the office slot:
Secretary of Transportation (USDOT) – Johnny Knoxville,
MTV Shows: Jackass, Wildboyz, Nitro Circus, Bad Grandpa, The Dukes of Hazzard, Men in Black II, Walking Tall II, etc.
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Administrator – Xzibit, MTV Shows: Pimp My Ride, Celebrity Deathmatch, 8 Mile, Fast and Furious, Platinum and Gold record albums, over 3 million sold.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Administrator – Steve-O,
MTV Shows: Jackass, Wildboyz, Too Late with Adam Carolla, regular MTV guest host.
Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) Director – Rob Dyrdek,
MTV Shows: Rob & Big, Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory, Ridiculousness
Director of the Office of Enforcement (NHTSA) – Puck AKA David Rainey,
MTV Shows: The Real World: San Francisco (1994), celebrity MTV guest host multiple seasons. Puck holds the legacy as the most infamous and disliked MTV reality star of all time. He famously terrorized others on screen, wiped his boogers on refrigerators, and spit peanut butter directly from his finger back into the jar. Toxic behavior, intense arguments, and a complete lack of respect for castmates.
In a wild twist of timing, the actual U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary and fellow MTV reality star alumnus Sean Duffy just unveiled his brand new Automated Vehicles National Strategy on 9/3/26, introducing the first-ever official government standardized procedures, provisions, paths, purposes, precedents, practices, protocols, policies, proxies, provisions and proposals for unregulated, software-connected autonomous vehicle domestic “safety” competentia.
As a TV reality star discovered on MTV’s The Real World: Boston (1997) and Road Rules: All-Stars (1998-2002), Secretary Duffy had to endure zany improv comedy training, writing and singing pop songs, and famously ate meals containing hidden insects cooked by his castmates. The famous MTV video clip of him “Chippendal dancing” suggestively in a towel has gone viral on multiple occasions.
Because the underlying ADAS/AV safety-related software remains unregulated with legal immunity, USDOT loophole cascades, FMVSS immunities, NHTSA exemptions, ODI slice & dice data demolition, NTSB canine & equine operettas, NEPA Assignment MOU frauds and MTV’s Real World/Jackass stunts all rely on false illusions of safety.
Like they say in law school “simulata competentia nulla competentia est” (fake competency is no competency at all) translated to real life means: fake safety is worse than no safety at all…