Nutson's Weekly Auto News Wrap-up September 20, 2026

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AUTO CENTRAL – Louisville, KY: September 20, 2026; Every Sunday for over 30 years, Larry Nutson — The Chicago Car Guy and Executive Producer of The Auto Channel — has delivered his weekly take on the automotive world. Each report distills the week’s top stories into sharp, easy-to-digest News Nuggets.

The full version of today’s News Nuggets — along with hundreds of thousands of additional articles, reviews, and editorial insights — can be found in The Auto Channel’s Million-Page Automotive Library, built and indexed over three decades. To dive deeper, simply copy any headline and paste it into this or any Site Search box on The Auto Channel.

LEARN MORE FROM THE WEB'S LONGEST-RUNNING AUTOMOTIVE COLUMN

Here are Larry's Top Auto Story Picks of the Week of September 14-20, 2026. Larry picked these as important, relevant, interesting, and sometimes semi-secret stories you need to know—served up as snappy, opinionated, and insider-sharp. These are expertly crafted, easy-to-understand news nuggets that cut through the noise and get right to what matters to you in the automotive world.

* NACTOY Reveals 2027 Award Contenders. The Best of 2027 features 25 vehicles competing for North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year. This year’s Best of 2027 includes five cars, four trucks and 16 utility vehicles. The contenders include established nameplates alongside all-new entries, with gasoline, hybrid and electric powertrains competing across the three categories. Winners will be announced Jan. 14, 2027. Candidates come from American (9), Japanese (4), Korean (6), German (5) and Swedish (1) automakers. See the contenders HERE.

* The Iran War and Diesel fuel prices. The New York Times writes: "The average price of a gallon of diesel in the United States has been setting records in recent days, topping $6 a gallon on Friday (Sept 11) and climbing to $6.23 by Monday (Sept 14) morning, up about 65 percent since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. The national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline, $4.31 on Monday (Sept 14), has also risen sharply since the start of the Iran war, by about 45 percent. And the global price of oil, the raw material for diesel, gasoline and other fuels, is up roughly 50 percent." Read the story HERE.

* "Leno's Law" is now Law! With Governor Newsom's signature, SB 1392 became law. It expands California smog test exemptions beyond the current pre-1976 vehicles. The law creates a phased-in smog check exemption for qualifying vintage and classic collector cars built between 1976 and 1985. On January 1, 2028, 1976-1980 vehicles will become exempt. In subsequent years, the year of exemption moves forward by one year. By 2033, vehicles up to 1985 model year will be included. Qualifying vehicles must be on collector car insurance (not daily transportation), or can be verified as driven fewer than 1000 miles per year.

* AM radio lives on. The US House of Representatives passed the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, which would require automakers to include AM radio tuners in new vehicles. Supporters argue that AM radio remains a vital part of the government’s emergency communication network when power and cell networks fail. Automakers oppose the mandate, citing interference from electric vehicle motors and an estimated $3.8 billion cost to mitigate the issue.

* This is scary. Automotive News reports: Artificial intelligence models used in autonomous vehicles (AVs) yield to pedestrians at different rates depending on their skin color and disability status, according to a recent King's College London study. The research highlights growing safety and regulatory concerns, revealing that Large Language Models (LLMs) and Video Language Models (VLMs) built into autonomous driving systems exhibit inconsistent and biased decision-making patterns when deciding whether to stop for historically underrepresented groups. Disability advocacy groups, including the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF), have warned that while AVs might successfully register standing or walking pedestrians, they frequently fail to recognize or appropriately yield to individuals using wheelchairs, mobility scooters, or guide canes. Certain research reinforces a history of demographic disparities in autonomous driving technology.

* Recalls on taxis and for-hire vehicles. A new Carfax investigation has found there are many open — that is, unfixed � recalls in taxis and other for-hire vehicles in many large U.S. cities. According to analysis of Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) for New York City cabs obtained by Carfax, 38.6% have an unfixed recall. Overall, the Carfax study of taxis and rideshare vehicles from 16 of the nation’s largest cities reveals that roughly 27% of those vehicles have an unfixed recall. That’s well above the average car, truck, or SUV in the U.S., which is about 20%. More on this here.

* Ford recall. Ford is recalling 223,472 F-150 pickup trucks ‌in the U.S. due to leaky and improperly secured fuel tanks that may detach from the vehicle while ⁠driving, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said. A detached tank can create a road hazard, increasing the risk ‌of ⁠a crash, while a fuel leak can cause an engine stall or increase the risk of ⁠a fire. Certain 2023-2027 F-150 vehicles will be recalled.

* Chevrolet and Buick recall. General Motors Co. is recalling more than 300,000 of its smallest SUVs over issues with the rearview camera screens, the NHTSA said. The recall applies to certain 2024-25 Buick Envista, 2024-26 Buick Encore GX and Chevrolet Trailblazer, and 2025 Chevrolet Trax models. The rearview camera screen might be distorted or blank.

* Goodwood Revival. The 2026 Goodwood Revival is taking place from Friday, September 18 to Sunday, September 20, 2026, at the historic Goodwood Motor Circuit in West Sussex, England. The 2026 event embraces a distinctly Italian flavor. A major highlight will be Saturday's Lavant Cup, dubbed "The Battle of Modena," which pits 1950s sports cars from Ferrari and Maserati against one another. A swarm of vintage Vespas will also take to the circuit. Formula 1 World Champions Jenson Button and Jacques Villeneuve are slated to go wheel-to-wheel driving iconic Jaguar E-types in the premier RAC TT Celebration on Sunday. They are joined by global motorsport stars like Hélio Castroneves, Jimmie Johnson, and Tom Kristensen.

* Are you planning to drive Route 66? From The Drive we read: Jake Boyles is the developer of the Pit Stop: Road Trip Exit Guide app, which shows restaurants and other points of interest located near highway exits. He spent this past summer mapping Route 66 to create a version of the app specifically for the historic highway. It lets you scroll through all 2,199 miles, showing elevation changes and places to stop along the way. Start planning HERE.

* 14 classic cars drive Route 66 for Parkinson’s. Beginning September 28, a group of friends and classic-car enthusiasts will set out from Kingman, Arizona, traveling historic Route 66 eastward to Chicago; taking the Mother Road back toward its beginnings as the legendary highway celebrates its 100th anniversary. The 10-day journey concludes October 7 in Chicago, where Route 66 originally began its westward trek across America. Along the way, the group will raise awareness and funds for national Parkinson’s nonprofit Drive Toward a Cure®, with all proceeds benefiting the organization’s ‘Special Assistance’ Grant Fund, providing direct support to individuals living with Parkinson’s disease. See the cars HERE. Learn more and donate HERE.

* NHRA news from team TSR. Leah Pruett is stepping away from full-time NHRA competition once again. Pruett announced that she will leave the seat of Tony Stewart Racing’s Top Fuel Dragster after the 2026 season to put more focus on her family and hopefully grow her family with husband and team owner Tony Stewart. Currently third in the NHRA Top Fuel championship standings, Pruett has recorded 13 career national event victories, including her emotional 2026 New England Nationals win � her first victory since becoming a mother. She plans to remain every bit as involved with the TSR organization as she was from behind the wheel, helping the team continue building toward championships. Tony Schumacher will take over the TSR Top Fuel seat in 2027.

* RIP. Australian-born James Wehr, co-founder of South OC Cars and Coffee, which bills itself as “the world’s largest weekly car show,” has died. James and another passenger were involved in a fiery car accident in Irvine, California, in the early hours of Sunday, September 13. Irvine police confirmed two fatalities after the driver of a 2019 McLaren “lost control of their vehicle” and “struck a curb and a tree” before the car “split in two and caught fire.”

Stay safe. Be Well.

Kind regards,

Larry Nutson, the Chicago Car Guy
THE AUTO CHANNEL