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First-edition Detroit muscle raises millions for charity at Barrett-Jackson

Amidst all the classic metal crossing the auction block each year in Scottsdale, AZ, Detroit automakers have a tradition of donating the first examples of their most enticing new muscle cars, with the proceeds of their sales going towards worthwhile charities. This year, Barrett-Jackson handled three noteworthy examples. The highest price among them was the first Ford Shelby GT350R Mustang with the VIN #001, which raised $1 million for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. General Motors donated the first new Chevy Corvette Z06 Convertible, the first retail example of the droptop supercar garnering $800,000 for the United Way. Along with the Z06, GM also donated the first new 2016 Cadillac CTS-V sedan, which brought in $170,000 for Detroit's College for Creative Studies. Although these were the headline Motown muscle machines furnished by the automakers themselves, they weren't the only vehicles auctioned off for worthy causes. A 1950 GM Futurliner bus donated by collector Ron Pratte led the charge when it brought in $4.65 million for the Armed Forces Foundation. Other lots included a custom Jeep Wrangler donated by SEMA ($85k), a new M5 donated by BMW ($800k), a '79 Oldsmobile Cutlass Hurst ($140k), '39 Cadillac LaSalle C-Hawk ($410k), Jeff Gordon's 1999 NASCAR-spec Chevy Monte Carlo ($500k) and a Victory Cross Country 8-Ball motorcycle ($180k). All told, the charity lots raised over $8.7 million for local and national charities. BARRETT-JACKSON REACHES HISTORIC HIGHS FOR SALES, CROWDS AND CELEBRITY APPEARANCES IN SCOTTSDALE • Barrett-Jackson sold 1,611 vehicles, which went for more than $130 million (unaudited), smashing records in the company's 44-year history during the 10-day auction at WestWorld of Scottsdale • Automobilia sales nearly tripled world records, with 2,000 pieces selling for more than $6.55 million • Celebrity attendance and crowds, along with ratings on Discovery and Velocity, spike SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Jan. 18, 2015 – Barrett-Jackson, The World's Greatest Collector Car AuctionsTM, reached historic highs during the Scottsdale auction at WestWorld from Jan. 10-18, 2015. During the 10-day auction, Barrett-Jackson recorded more than $130 million in vehicle sales (unaudited) and a world record $6.55 million in automobilia sales (unaudited), making it the highest auction in sales to date. The Ron Pratte Collection alone brought in over $40.44 million in vehicle and automobilia sales.

GM might outsource vans to AM General

General Motors will possibly boost production of the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon at the Wentzville Assembly Plant in Missouri by contracting out some commercial van manufacturing to AM General. Demand for the two midsize trucks continues to boom, and GM would like to take advantage of the strong market for them. The possible deal came to light in a letter to workers at the factory, according to Automotive News. "This potential partnership would free up production capacity and allow the organization to capitalize on our ability to build midsize trucks to further satisfy customer demand," a portion of the document allegedly said. AM General would reportedly only take over assembly of the cutaway versions of the Chevy Express and GMC Savana. Customers and critics have quickly embraced the latest Colorado and Canyon since their introduction. The Chevy just won back-to-back Motor Trend Truck of the Year awards. GM also had to add a third shift and extra workers in 2014 just to keep up with demand. The Wentzville plant even increased employment on the weekends earlier in 2015 to assemble an extra 2,000 of the trucks each month. While the two pickups boom, deliveries for the Chevy Express and GMC Savana are down 26.9 percent and 26.6 percent respectively through the first 10 months of the year. GM doesn't break out numbers for the cutaway versions, but they make up about a third of production, according to Automotive News. AM General built the Humvee for the US military and does some contract work with automakers. For example, the company's Indiana factory now produces the Mercedes-Benz R-Class for export to China. Here's hoping this potential deal will help both GM and AM General keep their factories humming. Related Video:

Opel's version of the Chevy Bolt will confuse people at Paris Motor Show

Two things are now official. First, Opel will reveal the Ampera-e, or the European version of the Chevrolet Bolt, at the Paris Motor Show in October. Second, General Motors has outdone itself in brand confusion, topping the Bolt/Volt ridiculousness. Opel isn't giving a single-charge range for the Ampera-e but the company is promising a "significantly longer range" than other electric vehicles. The Bolt is estimated to have a 200-mile range on the EPA scale, so whatever the Opel achieves on the European cycle will be done with the same batteries and motor as the Chevy. Opel is also looking to appeal to the auto enthusiasts with other factoids, which are basically just Bolt stats translated into metric. For instance, the Ampera-e will be able to go 0 to 50 kilometers per hour (which is 31 miles per hour to us Americans, but we're talking Europe here) in just 3.2 seconds. And for those looking to stay connected, as many as seven mobile devices can attached to the car's wireless hot spot. GM said in February that the European of the Bolt would be available across the pond next year, so the most recent bit of news isn't shocking. Still, General Motors continues to create confusion between all-electric Bolt and the extended-range plug-in Volt. It's already been reported that the Korean symbol and pronunciation of what is "B" in English is identical to the English "V," meaning that there is no difference between "Bolt" and "Volt" in that country (though there are no plans to sell the Bolt in South Korea as of yet). Now, in Europe, they're taking the name they used to use for the European of the Volt — Ampera — and merely adding an "-e" at the end of it. For those looking to be less confused, take a look at Opel's press release here. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Opel Ampera-e: Paris 2016 View 11 Photos News Source: Opel via Hybrid CarsImage Credit: Live photos copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog Green Paris Motor Show Chevrolet GM Opel Electric Chevy Bolt volt ampera opel ampera-e ampera-e