Carroll Shelby Dies ? Certainly not unexpected since the performance-car icon was 89 and a long-time heart-transplant recipient, yet the death of the little ole Texas chicken farmer ? who drove to victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, led Ford?s defeat of Ferrari in Europe and, oh yeah, created one of the greatest sports cars of all time, the Shelby Cobra ? was still a shock to the automotive firmament. And in typical showman style, Shelby manages to die in the same year that the 50th anniversary of the Cobra was being celebrated worldwide. Shelby?s driving partner for the victory at Le Mans in 1959, Roy Salvadori, also died this year.
Auto Sales Boom ? Despite continuing stress in the economy, the U.S. auto market comes back strong with nationwide sales that by the end of the year start to rival the best annual results before the financial crash in 2008. The domestic brands are big winners, Toyota and Honda return to their high levels after losses resulting from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and BMW retains its crown as top-selling luxury brand, ahead of Lexus and Mercedes-Benz.
One of the top sales for Barrett-Jackson's Scottsdale auction in January was the $2.915 million result for a 1948 Tucker Torpedo. (Photo: Bob Golfen) Collector Cars Rule ? From Monterey, Calif., to Amelia Island, Fla., the unbridled passion for old cars of every ilk hit new heights, starting off with a roaring Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale sale in January totaling $92 million and running through a record-high $260 million sold at Monterey?s six collector car and motorcycle auctions. Values of top-drawer collector cars were through the roof, especially vintage sports and race cars from Ferrari and other great marques, and classic cars from such notables as Mercedes-Benz and Duesenberg, which routinely sailed into seven figures. The market for more-affordable collector cars was also booming, as interest in and prices for Mustangs, Camaros, custom hot rods, sports cars and muscle cars continue to surge.
Suzuki Packs It In ? Always a bit player on the U.S. automotive stage, Suzuki shuts down its entire car-selling operation in the United States in the face of perennially lagging sales, spotty dealership count and nothing in the pipeline. The Japanese company?s auto failure contrasts with its booming success as a builder of performance motorcycles, which will still be sold here along with watercraft products.
Performance Is Back ? Supercars and muscle cars stormed through another great year, many of them racing past the 500- and 600-horsepower marks, zero-60 times under 3 seconds and top speeds exceeding 200 mph.
Getting Clean ? Hybrids and electric cars took center stage in both the environmental and performance arenas. On the clean, consumer side, we had a bevy of unveilings of hybrids, plug-in hybrids and pure electrics ? highlighted by the all-electric Tesla S sedan and production concepts from BMW?s i division ? while such top automakers as Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Jaguar (briefly) and Ferrari revealed plans for supercars powered by hybrid drivetrains. Meanwhile, Mazda shook up the clean-diesel proponents ? essentially German ? by unveiling its Mazda6 diesel. Turbocharging has also come increasingly into play for reducing engine sizes, gaining mileage and lowering emissions. The Toyota Prius lineup became a top seller worldwide, although the Nissan Leaf electric car and the Chevy Volt extended-range electric car have failed to meet sales targets.
Toyota Ponies Up ? Massive fines and settlements are being paid by the Japanese giant as a result of its 2009-2010 pedal-entrapment and unintended-acceleration woes. Just this month came the biggest fine ever levied against an automaker by the feds, $17.4 million, which adds up to total fines of about $60 million for failing to address the complaints in a timely manner. And this week came the announcement that Toyota would be paying out $1.1 billion to settle scores of lawsuits and claims, including the installation of brake-override systems in about 3.25 million of its vehicles. The amount could grow to $1.4 billion once it?s all tallied up.
Overblown Mileage Claims ? First it was the South Korean siblings, Hyundai and Kia, which performed numerous mea culpas and paid heavy cash penalties after it was revealed that the fuel-mileage figures for their cars were just a bit, well, optimistic. Now, Ford faces a federal review after complaints that the C-Max and Fusion hybrids fail to register the lofty mileage numbers that the automaker claims.
Connectivity Advances ? Automakers are devising all kinds of ways to connect your smart phone to your automobile, from providing owners? manuals and tutorials to integrating with the vehicles? entertainment, navigation and computer functions. They are also experimenting with replacing car keys with phones.
SRT Viper Reborn ? The first product from Chrysler?s new SRT division, the V10-powered supercar is thoroughly updated with greater performance and refinement, though it?s still the rawest muscle car out there. The Viper is the broadest statement of a resurgent Chrysler, which has had a very good sales year that included the first road-going manifestation of the Fiat/Chrysler union: the compact Dodge Dart.
Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEED.com, is a veteran auto writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, with a passion for collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. SPEED.com fans can email Bob Golfen at
Source: http://automotive.speedtv.com/article/autos-top-10-stories-of-2012/
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