In Case You Missed It - Nutson's Weekly Automotive News Digest,February 27-March 5, 2017; 10 Best Cars and Brands, New EV, MPG Scorecard, Museums, Ridler Award

AUTO CENTRAL CHICAGO, March 5, 2017; Every Sunday Larry Nutson, Senior Editor and Chicago Car Guy along with fellow senior editors Steve Purdy and Thom Cannell from The Auto Channel Michigan Bureau, give you TACH's "take" on this past week's automotive news in easy to digest mega-tweet sized nuggets.

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Nutson's Nuggets: March 5, 2017

* The industry is slowing. February new vehicle sales dropped 1.1% due to a drop in car sales that were down 13% balanced by truck sales being up 7%. However, the seasonal rate was strong at 17.57 million. GM, Nissan and Honda were up; Ford, FCA and Toyota were down. Luxury brands continue with many sales increases. VW is climbing back with a 13% increase.

* Autotrader recently named the 10 Best Car Interiors Under $50,000 for 2017. Each new car on the list offers a standout modern, comfortable, luxurious and/or visually appealing interior within the given price point. The ten 2017s are: Audi A4, Cadillac XT5, Honda Ridgeline, Infiniti Q60, Kia Sorento, Lincoln Continental, Mazda CX-9, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Toyota Prius Prime and Volvo S90.

* The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute has published a new report by Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle that documents and analyzes the changes in fuel economy of vehicles on U.S. roads between 1923 and 2015. The main findings for the entire fleet of all vehicles are that fuel economy decreased from 14.0 mpg in 1923 to 11.9 mpg in 1973. Starting in 1974, fuel economy increased rapidly to 16.9 mpg in 1991. Thereafter, improvements have been small, with fuel economy in 2015 at 17.9 mpg.

* Consumer Reports' just released its annual analysis of which car brands make the best vehicles. Audi takes the top position for the second year in a row, followed by Porsche, BMW, Lexus, and Subaru. Although these are the same top five as last year, Porsche and BMW rose, and Lexus and Subaru moved down. This year Chrysler, Acura, Infiniti, and Cadillac were the most upwardly mobile. Chrysler rose seven places, and the other three brands each moved up six places compared with last year. http://www.consumerreports.org/cars-which-car-brands-make-the-best-vehicles-2017/

* Women-Drivers.com published its 2017 U.S. Women’s Car Dealership Report. Key findings are: 45% of women purchase cars by themselves, 53% of millennial car buyers are women, 38% of women out-earn their husbands and 56% of women do not buy from the brand dealer closest to their home.

* For the first time in 25 years, Ford Motor Company is offering a vehicle without a CD player. In the all-new EcoSport compact SUV available in 2018, Ford will replace the CD player with streaming audio and video.

* The next big thing in electric cars may be the Photovoltaic Module HIT solar roof panel that Panasonic revealed at a press event in Japan this week. Solar automobile roof panels so far have been used to charge regular 12-volt batteries in support of “key-on and key-off” functions. Panasonic’s new system has an output of 180-watts that will allow it to charge lithium-ion batteries used to power electric cars and they can be formed to be part of a curved roof panel. Since Panasonic is a major supper to Tesla analysts speculate they may be used for the upcoming Model 3.

* Reuters reports that embattled airbag manufacturer Takata pled guilty this week in federal court to felony charges of wire fraud related to its faulty inflators. The legal process has gone on for a couple years now and this plea paves the way for the company’s sale or restructuring. The settlement includes a deal on compensation to victims and automakers. The U.S. District Court Judge hearing the case offered the opinion that, “destruction of the corporation would probably have been a fair outcome in this case,” but he did not impose the maximum fine so that the company could continue to replace faulty inflators.

* Volvo is recalling certain 2017 XC90, S90, and V90 vehicles. The bolts that secure the Inflatable Curtain (IC) air bags in place may break, possibly resulting in the IC air bag deploying improperly in the event of a crash.

* Ford Motor Co is recalling more than 36,000 vehicles in the U.S. and Canada because their air bags may not inflate properly. The recall affects the 2016-17 Ford Edge, 2016-17 Lincoln MKX and 2017 Lincoln Continental.

* Fiat Chrysler Automobiles warned in its annual report to shareholders that it could face fines of up to $4.6 billion if federal regulators conclude that the company has installed pollution-control defeat devices on about 104,000 diesel-powered RAM pickups and Jeep Grand Cherokee models. FCA has adamantly denied that the company’s diesel engines have any kind of illegal software or defeat devices.

* Classic and collector vehicle auctions are big business. One of the most impressive events recently saw vintage motorcycles set record prices. We learned this week the Mecum Auctions company will host the largest vintage tractor auction to date at the Mississippi Valley Fair Center in Davenport, Iowa March 30th to April 1st. Called “Mecum Auctions Gone Farmin' Spring Classic,” the event will feature over 400 tractors for sale along with 300 pieces of memorabilia.

* In other auction news, we learned this week that the last LaFerrari - number 500 - was just auctioned by RM Sotheby bringing a record $7 million. The car, and ultimately the proceeds, were donated to the National Italian American Foundation’s Earthquake Relief Fund and will go to help victims of the series of major quakes that hit Italy over the past few years. The car is a one-off special edition originally intended for the official Ferrari museum before the company decided to donate it.

* In other Ferrari news, AutoWeek reports a lawsuit was filed this week against a Florida Ferrari dealership by a fired salesman that claims age discrimination but also alleges that Ferrari authorizes odometer rollbacks using software imbedded into the cars. The plaintiff says there is even an official policy manual that details the process and that he was fired primarily because he learned of the procedure. The factory has not offered a statement.

* One day an antique car, the next day not. Connecticut has proposed changes to its rules for registering antique cars. One significant change is it would amend the state’s definition of antique, rare, or special interest motor vehicle from those 20 years or older to those 30 years or older. Arkansas had a bill that would have changed that state’s cutoff date for antique vehicle registration from 25 to 45 years old, but the legislator who suggested it has withdrawn the bill.

* The coveted Ridler Award for best-in-show at the prestigious Detroit Autorama hot rod and custom car show in Detroit went to the “Renaissance Roadster,” a scratch-built reinterpretation of a 1933 Ford with a GM Performance Anniversary Edition 427 crate motor owned by Nancy and Buddy Jordan of Portland, Oregon. Detroit’s Autorama kicks off the season for these popular shows where esthetics and the automobile come together.

* NASCAR history was made in many ways last Sunday as Kurt Busch snagged his first Daytona 500 win making a pass on the last lap having not led at any other time during the race. Busch, in his Stewart-Hass Racing team Ford was among only 25 finishers from the 40-car field that started the race and only 5 of these cars finished unscathed my crashes. Among many new rules governing the race are limits on repair time in the pits and a segmented structure that left some teams confused and generate lots of comments on social media.