Auto Industry News: Mecum Kissimmee Makes History, KOH 2021 Kicks Off, and Ford Serves Dishful of Sneak Peeks

KOH 2021 grudge matches and qualifying rounds have begun, kicking off a week of high-adrenaline excitement for Ultra4 fans. Those looking for big power in their own off-road machines will be happy to hear Ford’s latest Raptor announcement – aimed squarely at the RAM TRX. We also have details on the automaker’s recent sneak peeks of the next-gen Ranger and newest Explorer trim.

Plus, we dug through our stack of press releases last week and fished out a few aftermarket mergers that might catch your eye. SEMA Market Data is available below as well, and gives a helpful bird’s eye view of when the world might look familiar again.

But first, Mecum Kissimmee results are in and they spell great news for the collector car market.

Mecum Makes History

It’s fair to say that this year’s Mecum Kissimmee auction (Jan. 7-16) was an outstanding success. Despite COVID protocols and a weakened economy, the 10-day auction sold 2,030 collector cars for a grand total of $122.8 million. That is the highest single-auction total ever achieved in Mecum’s 34-year history!

Offers poured in from both on-site attendees and remote bidders, resulting in an unprecedented 89% sell-through rate – the highest ever achieved at a reserve-based auction and sustained over a 10-day period. In fact, Friday, Jan. 8 marked a single-day reserve auction best for Mecum with a sell-through rate at 92%.

Another record-breaking highlight of the event included the $5.94 million final sale price of Caroll Shelby’s personal 1965 427 Cobra – the most valuable 427 Cobra ever sold at public auction.

The restored roadster was actually one of seven collector cars to break the million-dollar mark this year. Joining the Cobra was a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Roadster ($2.5 million), two Mercedes-Benz 300SLs ($1.57 million and $1.21 million), a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTS ($1.35 million), 1965 Iso Grifo A3/C Bizzarrini ($1.18 million), and another 427 Cobra ($1.38 million).

Combined with other sales on Friday, Jan. 15, these top sellers helped break yet another record – that for the largest single-day total in company history at $34 million.

The good times kept on rolling.

Less than a week after Kissimmee, Mecum held a special sales event to auction off 200 collector cars and a variety of automobilia from Rick Treworgy’s recently-closed Motor City Museum. That event generated another $18.4 million, pushing Mecum’s January totals to a whopping $141.2 million.

Top sellers from the second auction included a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette resto mod that sold for $368,500; a 1969 Chevrolet COPO Camaro at $297,000; and a 1958 Chevrolet Impala convertible resto mod for $253,000.

The next Mecum Auction will be held in Glendale, Arizona, March 18-20.

KOH Kicks Off

As football fans prepare for their annual championship this coming weekend, Ultra4 nuts are already immersed in their own Super Bowl. The 2021 King of the Hammers kicked off this past weekend with grueling grudge matches, full-course pre-runs, and exciting qualifying rounds.

The ultimate off-road race got the green light this year, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Surprising, since the event is hosted in the desert of California – arguably the strictest state in regards to COVID regulations.

As a result, Hammertown’s usual week-long celebration of camping, watching races, and partying in the scorching desert sun has been punctuated by rapid testing sites and health screening checkpoints. Combined with masking, social distancing, and massive sanitizing efforts, show organizers have gone above and beyond to ensure KOH 2021 remains safe and fun for all attendees.

With safety measures in place, spectators can focus on the exciting array of events lined up for the week – and Ultra4 is set to DELIVER. The main attraction was moved to Saturday, Feb. 6 to make room for more racing action, including an expanded Toyo Tires Desert Challenge which kicked off Saturday with the B2/buggie vs B3/UTV Grudge Match.

Wheeler Morgan claimed victory, completing five laps of the course in 6:16:09.627. Sunday’s T1, B1 & T2 Race went to last year’s champ Bryce Menzies and his Toyo-equipped Mason Motorsports 4WD T1 truck.

For a comprehensive and easy-to-understand breakdown of the upcoming week’s race schedule, click here.

In addition to new classes and more racing opportunities, Ultra4 organizers also added a new trail this year. Grimly named “King’s Graveyard,” it promises to hold fresh challenges for racers. For spectators, Ford will be on-site offering free trail rides in the new Bronco and Bronco Sport – a rare treat as deliveries of the SUV have been delayed several times due to supply chain hiccups.

For those stuck at home while the action goes down, tune into Ultra4 Racing LIVE! right from your computer.

And in case you missed it…

Wayne Taylor Racing took home its third-consecutive Rolex 24 At Daytona victory on Sunday. The No. 10 Acura ARX-05 piloted by Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque, Alexander Rossi and Helio Castroneves in the DPi class took the checkered flag. Albuquerque was the driver who ultimately crossed the finish line after an entire day and night’s worth of competition. Read more at NASCAR.com.

Ford Keeps Busy

The Blue Oval has been hard at work and serves up three exciting reveals this week.

2021 Ford Raptor Gets Mo’ Powah

The gossip is true! In an effort to compete with the all-new RAM TRX, Ford is releasing an even higher-performance Raptor. Dubbed “Raptor R,” the upgraded model will wear the 5.2-liter supercharged V-8 carried over from the Mustang Shelby GT500 — the most powerful street-legal Ford ever. Some sources speculate that Ford’s twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 hybrid powertrain could find its way into the Raptor lineup as well.

Rumor has it that we could see this new and improved truck any day now, which would make for one heck of a Super Bowl surprise. 

Aesthetically, we don’t expect much to change from Raptor predecessors’ aggressive styling. However, some updates from the new F-150 should carry over — like fresh headlights and taillights, an enhanced interior, and perhaps that multifunction tailgate? Spy photos indicate a new coil-spring rear suspension, a configuration RAM has used for more than a decade now.

Price-wise, early estimates seem to put this thing in the $55 to $58k range new off the lot.

Next-Gen Ford Ranger Prototype Spied Testing

New spy photos of the next-gen Ford Ranger in pre-production form dropped recently. While heavy camouflaging still obscures anything fun, a few fresh traits were noticeable.

Overall, the new Ranger looks bulkier and bolder. It seems to share the same C-shaped headlamps currently found on the 2021 Ford F-150 and spotted on the upcoming Maverick, indicating Ford is applying a little more cohesive design language across the models. The cab and bed appear to be carry-overs, but around back it looks like new taillights and a new tailgate are on the docket.

Supposedly, the important changes will be taking place inside the cabin and under the hood. Currently, the Ford Ranger only offers one powertrain option: a 270-hp turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder.

Timing on the next-gen Ranger is still unclear, with some publications calling it a 2022 model and others saying 2023 is more realistic. With COVID, it’s anybody’s guess. What we do know is that the new Ranger will also serve as the basis for an upcoming Volkswagen mid-sizer, per the terms of a Ford-VW collaboration announced in 2020.

Big Daddy Explorer Breaks Cover

Yep, more Fords! Awhile back we covered the rumored off-road “Timberline” trim set to debut on the 2022 Explorer. Thought to be an FX4-equipped model, it appears this rugged SUV will be joined by a more luxurious stablemate: the King Ranch.

As can be seen in the spy photo, the new trim borrows liberally from the Explorer Limited, with similar wheels and grille. A four-tipped exhaust set-up looks new, however, and suggests Ford placed the EcoBoost 3.0L V6 engine under the hood. 

The King Ranch trim can be found across the F-Series lineup and on the full-size Expedition SUV, so we can safely make some assumptions about the interior. Namely, a whole lotta leather. On the 2021 F-150, the King Ranch trim comes loaded with tech and luxury, including a Bang & Olufsen audio system and heated rear seats.

Aftermarket Growth

The road to economic recovery is dotted with many potholes – and several potential detours. That seems to be the general consensus from the SEMA Market Research team, who estimates a most-likely scenario of normal business operations resuming by the end of 2021 or early 2022.

Taking into account a variety of factors, from vaccine roll-out to new federal administration policies, SEMA researchers constructed a realistic projection for the automotive aftermarket.

Here are some tidbits that might interest you as a consumer, and more importantly, an enthusiast:

… Large gatherings stand a strong chance of making a comeback by September 2021. However, safety measures like masks and sanitizer stations will remain familiar sights.

… The economy is looking at a three-year recovery period – even in optimistic outlooks.

… While many Americans remain in financial uncertainty, overall savings rates are higher than average. This indicates consumers have discretionary funds but are choosing to hold onto them “just in case.”

… Additionally, the main reason consumers halted spending in 2020 was due to product/service availability and travel restrictions. SEMA researchers project that pent-up demand for hard-to-get purchases will result in significant increases in consumer spending at the end of 2021.

… As the world opens back up, consumers will hit the roads again. In fact, data shows people are more interested in personal vehicle travel than public transportation and flying.

… Overall, the aftermarket is expected to grow 4% from 2019 levels, reaching an impressive $48.1 billion in total sales in 2023.

New Markets, New Friends

Last week, Cometic Gasket, a supplier of gaskets and engine sealing solutions, acquired Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, a specialist in high-performance lubricants. The two companies boast more than just complementary product lines. Both founding families have been friends for years, making this merger feel noticeably less “corporate.”

On the suspension side, aftermarket juggernaut Air Lift announced its acquisition of air tank manufacturer Flo Airride. Welcoming the Flo brand into the Air Lift portfolio will help the company better establish itself as “the air suspension leader for all categories of lowered vehicles, from supercars to street trucks,” said Air Lift Company President Kevin Mehigh. Interestingly, the acquisition also gives Air Lift the rights to Slam’d Magazine, so it should be fun to see what the manufacturer does with its new publishing gig.

Understanding it’s not just who you know, but also what you bring to the table, AWE Tuning announced its venture into the late-model Jeep market. The precision engineering firm based outside of Philadelphia introduced its new exhaust lineup for the Jeep JT Gladiator, and JK/JL Wrangler.

“These are the best Jeep systems out there, with the best clearance, 3” tubing for max power, lifetime warranties, and all the engineering goodness that our market has come to expect,” said AWE VP of Marketing, Jesse Kramer.

Check out the video below and hear for yourself!

In Case You Missed It…

… J.D. Power founder, James David Power III, passed away last week at age 89. The global market research giant transformed the auto industry with his pioneering insight on the value of consumer feedback. Read more at Aftermarket News.

… Both Nissan and GM made ambitious environmental pledges last week. The Japanese automaker wants all new car models to be electric by early 2030s, with the goal of complete carbon neutrality by 2050. GM aims to end sales of gas and diesel engine vehicles by 2035, with carbon neutrality by 2040.

… Interestingly, while Nissan may be making a bold embrace of alternative powertrains, its dealers are clamoring for an Xterra comeback. Automotive News reports that customer enthusiasm for the new Ford Bronco has Nissan dealers itching for a piece of the lucrative off-road SUV pie.

… Toyota reclaimed its crown as the world’s top-selling automaker, overtaking German rival Volkswagen. The automaker topped global charts with 9.528 million vehicles sold in 2020.

… Before FCA gets its corporate makeover as Stellantis, the automaker must cough up $30M in fines for its role in the UAW corruption scandal. Pleading guilty to conspiracy charges, FCA admitted to issuing large pay-offs to high-ranking union officials in order to receive favorable treatment during labor negotiations. Read more at Detroit Free Press.

The Engine Block is your one-stop source for any and all auto industry news. Keep an eye on our weekly round-up of enthusiast coverage, product reviews, vehicle spotlights, auto show/expo features, and more. Be sure to check back Wednesday when we break down the top 2021 SUVs we can’t wait to drive!