December 2021

$19.2 million in overall auction sales achieved at Mecum’s final 2021 event


1968 Ford Mustang Fastback

(December 13, 2021) Mecum Auctions closed out the year by setting an all-time sales record at its long-running Kansas City auction, Dec. 2-4. The three-day event saw 85 percent of all 709 vehicles hammer sold as overall sales totals reached $19.2 million, far exceeding the previous Kansas City auction high of $13 million.

Orders open for 2022 Hellcat Redeye Widebody Jailbreak models



(December 13, 2021) AUBUN HILLS, Mich. — Ordering is now open for the 2022 Dodge Charger and Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody Jailbreak models, unleashing full access to the entire palette of Dodge personalization options and empowering customers to create their own customized performance vehicle. Jailbreak models unlock color combinations previously restricted from ordering when choosing a variety of vehicle options, such as seats, wheels, exterior badging and stripes, brake caliper color and much more.

2022 Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid has 25 miles of EV range



(December 12, 2021) PLANO, Texas — Take the world’s best-selling hybrid, add on a no-gas EV mode when charged, top it off with Toyota value and durability and you have the Prius Prime. With an astounding 640-mile driving range, the Prius Prime takes everything people love about the legendary hybrid vehicle and adds an estimated 25 miles of EV driving range (when fully charged) — that’s sufficient to handle daily commuting distances for many U.S. drivers.

Morgan completes first Plus 8 GTR — The most powerful Morgan ever



(December 11, 2021) MALVERN, England —The first Morgan Plus 8 GTR, the most powerful car in the company’s history, has completed build at the company’s factory in Malvern Link, Worcestershire. Finished in striking Yas Marina Blue, the first example is evocative of the original design sketches — which pay homage to prominent nineties Plus 8 race car ‘Big Blue’ — that were released to announce the model in February 2021.

New features in the VW Golf GTI can help avoid collisions with cyclists



(December 10, 2021) If you haven’t driven a new vehicle in the past few years, you may be amazed at how far advanced driver assistance technology has come. The gee-whiz system that could help you parallel park your car 10 years ago has now evolved to a full suite of available driver assistance features that use cameras and radar designed to work with adaptive cruise control and read road markings, with advanced software stitching all the data together.

General Motors and MP Materials to source rare earth magnet material



(December 10, 2021) DETROIT —  General Motors and MP Materials have announced the formation of a strategic collaboration to develop a fully integrated U.S. supply chain for rare earth magnets. Under the long-term agreement, MP Materials will supply U.S.-sourced and manufactured rare earth materials, alloy and finished magnets for the electric motors used in the GMC HUMMER EV, Cadillac LYRIQ, Chevrolet Silverado EV and more than a dozen models using GM’s Ultium Platform, with a gradual production ramp that begins in 2023.

Pink proves popular with Jeep buyers; Tuscadero exterior paint color extended



(December 10, 2021) AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Since ordering opened in August  for the limited-run Tuscadero exterior paint color for the Jeep Wranglerr, the head-turning hue has racked up nearly 30,000 orders, making it the most popular Wrangler special-edition color this year.

2022 Honda Passport arrives with rugged new styling, new TrailSport model



(December 9, 2021) Restyled and adventure-ready, the 2022 Honda Passport begins arriving at dealerships this winter with a rugged new exterior design that better reflects its true off-road capabilities and more standard features than ever before. Inspired by the spirit of exploration, the first-ever Passport TrailSport takes Passport's new rugged styling even further.