Auto Industry News: Mecum’s Mammoth Kissimmee Auction, Dakar 2021 Updates, Battle for Full-Size Truck Sales Crown, New Auto Language, and Musk Now World’s Richest Man
Enthusiast events from mild to wild begin to find their legs again. Mecum Auctions opens its 2021 season with a massive catalog in Kissimmee, while the Dakar Rally continues to kick up dust in the sands of Saudi Arabia. Both events have several days left of excitement, but we have some midway updates.
On the OE front, GM and Ford are back to their age-old squabbling, this time about who sold more full-size pickups in 2020. Elon Musk becomes the world’s richest man as Tesla’s share prices soar. That could change in coming months, with the world’s leading automakers facing a global microchip shortage which threatens to put the brakes on vehicle production. And Waymo, insisting words matter, says we should stop saying “self-driving.”
Feel a little out of the loop? Catch up on what’s happening in the auto industry by reviewing our coverage on exciting 2021 Off-Road Packages, Best 2021 Overlanding Vehicles, and Upcoming EVs from Detroit’s Big 3.
Mecum Auctions Roll into Kissimmee, Florida
Mecum Auctions – the one-stop-shop for classic, specialty, and muscle car enthusiasts to splash some cash – rolled onto the 195-acre grounds of Kissimmee’s Osceola Heritage Park last week, bringing with it an estimated 3,000 vehicles and thousands of pieces of Road Art collectibles.
Just like a million other events this year, the usually massive in-person auction has had to take real, substantial steps to keep bidders and sellers as safe and healthy as possible. In-person attendance is limited, with only registered bidders and one guest permitted. As always, online and telephone bidders are welcome. Plus, portions of the auction are being broadcast on NBC Sports. (Check out the TV schedule, here.)
A Flush Lineup
Thankfully, social distancing measures haven’t watered down the incredible vehicles that are up for grabs this year. From a 1916 Studebaker to a 2019 Porsche 911 Speedster, the world’s largest collector-car auction has plenty on the docket. Highlights include: several Shelby Cobra Roadsters, Ford GTs, a pair of Mercedes-Benz 300SL racers (one roadster and one Gullwing coupe), classic Chevy and Plymouth muscle cars, plus Ferraris from multiple decades.
A full list of vehicles available for both in-person and online bidders can be viewed here.
“What I like about Kissimmee is the diversity of the lots,” Dave Magers, CEO of Mecum Auctions, told the Orlando Sentinel. “Our consignment guys, Frank Mecum and the group, have commented to me on several occasions that this is the best lineup of cars we’ve ever had at a Kissimmee auction.”
If you’re in Florida and have some cash burning a hole in your pocket and an empty spot in your garage, Mecum Kissimmee 2021 opens daily at 8 a.m. at 1875 Silver Spur Lane in Kissimmee. General admission tickets cost $30 per person, per day and must be purchased online. For more information, visit the website. But hurry up, because time is running out! Mecum Kissimmee wraps up on Saturday, January 16.
Dakar 2021: No Rest for the Weary
Another year, another edition of the historic and always turbulent motorsports challenge that is the Dakar Rally. You didn’t think something like a deadly global pandemic would be enough to stop this race from happening, right? Don’t be ridiculous.
Marathon Challenges
To get around some flight restrictions, the 2021 Dakar Rally race route is entirely mapped in Saudi Arabia. The prologue took place January 3 in Jeddah, and the route will end January 15 in Medina. However, this will make the rally no less remarkable than normal – just compressed into only one nation instead of originally-planned three. (You can follow along online.)
At the time of writing, this year’s Dakar has not disappointed in drama. The event itself got off to a rocky start prior to the new year, when the hosting country closed all its borders in an attempt to stop the spread of a new variant of COVID-19. Obviously, the race went ahead. But by Stage 3, complaints began trickling in from drivers about the unusually difficult navigation and harsh terrain. At the midway point, after Stage 5, those reviews had become a chorus of criticism. WRC legend, Carlos Sainz said he’s never seen so many drivers run off course due to navigational troubles and likened this year’s Dakar to a “gymkhana rather than a rally.”
Race organizers opted to delay the start of Stage 6, as a result. They also shortened the program by 100 kilometers. These organizational challenges join the traditional hardships of a race this brutal, including broken suspensions and punctures, as well as more sinister ones like potentially contaminated fuel.
We all know Dakar is never just a walk in the park, but this year’s version seems ultra-contentious. (That’s very 2020 of it, if you ask us.) Keep your eyes on the headlines to see what happens next. Today, Stage 8 (of 12) brought competitors across the northern route as they head back toward the Red Sea, where the remainder of the rally will be run.
Looking for more exciting enthusiast events? Check out our January Competition Corner for a recent rundown.
GM & Ford Bicker Over Top Dog Status, Silverado Reclaims #2 Spot
New year, new outlook. After boarding and taking a prolonged ride on the struggle bus last year, GM seems to be back to sorts. With a laundry list of impressive EVs on the docket, the automaker is also dazzling consumers on the traditional ICE front.
The company’s Chevy Silverado, unceremoniously kicked to third position last year by the redesigned RAM 1500, has reclaimed its #2 spot on the charts, selling 594,094 units in 2020. While that may be only 5% better than RAM’s 563,676 deliveries, it’s enough to snatch back that shiny, runner’s up tiara.
Moreover, when you add in GM’s 253,016 Sierra sales for the year, the automaker delivered a total 847,110 units – positioning it above Ford as top dog in U.S. full-size trucks. Ford admits its F-series line (which includes the F-150 and larger Super Duty) fell 12% this past year, delivering only 787,422 units.
The Drama Unfolds
Both GM and Ford are claiming to be the 2020 full-size pickup sales leader. The issue? GM counts all of its full-size pickups from both the Chevy and GMC brands, while Ford only has one brand represented. That makes Ford the best-selling brand, while GM becomes the best-selling automaker in the full-size segment. (Where you fall in the argument likely depends on your brand loyalty.)
Regardless, this is good news for GM, who even with two brands in its arsenal failed to top Ford’s sales the past five years. Let’s see if this changing of the guard carries over into 2021 or is just another oddity to chalk up to 2020.
Remember last week’s coverage of the three-row Grand Cherokee spied testing? Well, Jeep pulled the sheet off the new vehicle at a reveal this past Thursday. Check out the new Grand Cherokee “L” in the video below.
Musk Becomes World’s Richest Man, Just As Automakers Face Fresh Challenge
While some of the world’s biggest automakers face potential production hiccups thanks to a global microchip shortage, things are looking bright at Tesla. Like, blindingly bright. Like, even brighter than that last time we told you it was really, really bright.
Why? Oh, no major reason. Just the guy who grew up with literal emeralds in his pockets as a child, Elon Musk, is now officially the richest man on the planet.
Let’s start with the legacy automakers, however. While the previously-underestimated competition gets richer and more technologically advanced, major names are dealing with serious production issues. According to Reuters, massive automakers like Ford, Toyota, Fiat Chrysler, Honda, and Nissan have all had to slash vehicle production due to a lack of semiconductors. Again, the ongoing global pandemic is to blame.
Per Reuters:
Credit Suisse analyst Daniel Levy said in a research note that the chip supply issues may limit near-term auto production for the industry, but industry officials said they are prioritizing production of higher-profit vehicles.
Major auto chip suppliers such as NXP Semiconductor said auto production rebounded faster than expected from the pandemic, leaving them struggling to catch up.
Meantime, chip manufacturing capacity has been stretched thin globally as laptops fly off shelves for working from home, and PCs and gaming consoles sell heavily, leading chip firms such as Nvidia Corp to warn of supply constraints.
This lack of parts has impacted vehicles like the Nissan Note, Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Dodge Challenger, Ford Escape, and Lincoln Corsair SUV, just to name a few, presenting yet another unfortunate ripple from COVID that some of the largest automakers in the world have had to contend with.
Fly High, Tesla
On the other side sits Tesla and Musk who, it’s fair to say, have literally never been doing better than they are right now. Only weeks after Tesla was allowed onto the S&P 500 list, which we covered here at The Engine Block, it became a top performer. Stock prices soared, passing out the likes of Facebook to become the fifth most valuable company in the U.S., which in turn made Elon Musk the richest man on the planet.
With the impending launch of the often-mocked Cybertruck, an upcoming Gigafactory production facility in both Austin, Texas and Germany, the Tesla Semi and Roadster on the horizon, and Tesla hype spreading and becoming a household name, it’s fair to say that the once-dismissed startup has never been bigger than it is right now. And, while I’m no economist, I think it’s a good bet that things are only poised to grow from here.
Personally, we here at the Engine Block are excited to see what supervillain activities Jeff Bezos gets up to in an effort to win back his title…
Waymo Ditches ‘Self-Driving’ Term in Apparent Dig at Tesla
Speaking of futuristic self-driving tech that certainly won’t lead to an eventual robot uprising someday, let’s talk about Waymo! Just like everyone else on the planet, the company seemed to have Tesla on its mind this week, too.
The Google sister-company said last week that it would be ditching the term “self-driving cars” in favor of “using more deliberate language” in its marketing, educational, and promotional materials going forward. For example, the company is changing the name of its three-year-old public education campaign from “Let’s Talk Self-Driving” to “Let’s Talk Autonomous Driving.”
“It may seem like a small change, but it’s an important one, because precision in language matters and could save lives,” the company wrote in a blog post published on January 5th. “We’re hopeful that consistency will help differentiate the fully autonomous technology Waymo is developing from driver-assist technologies (sometimes erroneously referred to as ‘self-driving’ technologies) that require oversight from licensed human drivers for safe operation.”
So, how exactly is this a shot at Telsa? Well, last year, Tesla launched a software update called “full self-driving,” which enabled drivers to use many of the brand’s Autopilot advanced driver-assist features on local, non-highway streets. The software update drew criticism from the likes of GM, Ford, Lyft, Uber, Volvo, and Waymo themselves, claiming the firm’s vehicles are not truly autonomous because they still require an active driver.
You Talkin’ To Me?
While Waymo never overtly points a finger at Tesla, it’s clear who the company is targeting when it argues that “self-driving” terminology gives consumers a false sense of security and belief in a vehicle’s autonomous capabilities.
As The Verge points out, “That false impression can lead someone to unknowingly take risks (like taking their hands off the steering wheel) that could jeopardize not only their own safety but the safety of people around them. Coalescing around standard terminology will not just prevent misunderstanding and confusion, it will also save lives.”
While it might seem like a petty gripe from a jealous competitor on the surface, digging a little deeper shows us that this actually could be a big deal for consumers. Honestly, if you don’t make it crystal clear that a vehicle isn’t a Jetsons-style, fully self-driving car, then people are going to be scrolling on social media, applying eyeliner, or taking a nap. (Heck, people do those things ALREADY in totally-not-self-driving cars.)
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 Friday for our comprehensive lineup of 2021 Aftermarket Trends.
