We’ll start our breakdown with the Pontiac Trans Am as a result of that automobile in the end beget the Macho T/A. Ironically, Trans Am fanatics can let you know the unique T/A is just not an entirely authentic creation itself and is, in reality, a slightly modified version of the Pontiac Firebird. The automaker’s Firebird debuted in 1967 and might be outfitted with a 3.8 L6 engine that delivered 220 horsepower. The first Trans Am arrived two years later with a surname impressed by the beloved Trans-American Cup road-racing collection and boasting a 400-cid V-8 engine with a brake horsepower of 335.
Despite its energy, the first-generation Trans Am struggled to search out favor outdoors the muscle-car-loving public. The massive engine magnificence additionally did not but entrance the traditional Trans Am look fanatics would come to adore within the 2nd Generation mannequin. Those 2nd Gen T/As arrived in 1970, and even when their 4.9-liter V8 engines introduced the automobile’s horsepower all the way down to a sub-muscle 210, the physique design turned virtually immediately iconic, as did the deliciously gaudy “Screaming Chicken” decal Pontiac started providing as a hood adornment in 1973.
A yr later, Pontiac additionally started becoming Trans Ams with their fabled Super Duty 455 engine, a muscle car era all-star if there ever was one. Unfortunately, federal laws meant Pontiac couldn’t proceed to make use of the gas-guzzling 455, with some naming the ’74 Trans Am the final of the American muscle automobiles.
The Corvette Museum has launched a full breakdown of 2023 Chevrolet Corvette gross sales, giving us some perception into how patrons specified their vehicles over the previous yr. Among the 53,785 Corvettes offered, simply 6,413 have been Z06s. And of these Z06s, simply 20 (!) have been painted in Caffeine, the brown shade proven above.
Production of the Corvette went up 108 p.c over 2022, seemingly resulting from fewer provide constraints stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the info revealed by Corvette Blogger, Chevy constructed 27,943 coupes and 25,842 convertibles in 2023, a 52/48-percent break up. Interestingly, the unfold is flipped once you have a look at Z06s alone, with 3109 coupes and three,304 convertibles produced. We completely perceive — we would get a convertible too merely to raised hear all 8600 rpm from the car’s flat-plane-crank V8.
Things get extra attention-grabbing when you have a look at gross sales by shade. Torch Red was the preferred shade, with 7,896 models produced (15 p.c of all 2023 Corvette gross sales). It’s adopted intently behind by Arctic White at 7216 vehicles, then Black at 6,403 models.
Chevy offered simply 536 Caffeine-colored Corvettes, lower than one p.c of all manufacturing in 2023. Of these vehicles, 516 have been Stingrays. The remaining 20 Z06s have been break up in half between 10 coupes and 10 convertibles. If you occur to personal a brown Z06, simply know you might have one of many rarest mid-engine Corvettes on the planet — a reality we’re positive will assist increase the automobile’s worth at a Mecum public sale 30 years from now. And it is not like Chevy is constructing any extra. The firm dropped Caffeine and one other shade, Elkhart Blue, from the Corvette’s shade lineup beginning in 2024, changed by Riptide Blue and Cacti, a type of green-grey shade first shown on the E-Ray.
Caffeine wasn’t the one unpopular shade for the Corvette in 2023. In second-to-last place sits Silver Flare, with simply 1695 models produced. It’s adopted by Accelerate, the brilliant yellow shade, at 1898 vehicles constructed. Those shades signify simply 3 and 4 p.c of manufacturing, respectively.
If you have ever checked out a gross sales breakdown for a big producer, you have most likely seen at the least one “zombie car” counted in these figures. They’re gross sales of automobiles that went out of production earlier than the 12 months they have been offered. There are all the time just a few yearly, largely fashions that wrapped up manufacturing the 12 months prior.
For this 12 months, meaning a lot of the zombie automobiles offered in 2023 have been in-built 2022. But there are just a few which were out of manufacturing for as much as eight years. Stellantis alone accounts for 11 of the 17 automobiles on this listing, together with the oldest of the undead going again to 2016. Models from the likes of Acura, Ford, Hyundai, and Toyota additionally made appearances.
We’re at an entire loss as to how a few of these automobiles survived unsold for therefore lengthy. And frankly, we might love to satisfy the individuals who lastly purchased them. So let’s take a more in-depth take a look at the automobiles that refused to die in 2023.
Units Sold: 1 Discontinued: 2020
The Alfa Romeo 4C went on sale within the US in 2013 as the primary mass-produced Alfa in America since 1995. The coupe spawned a Spider variant in 2015, however manufacturing lasted simply six years for the hardtop and 5 for the convertible earlier than it was discontinued for good in 2020. But at the least one particular person nonetheless had a keenness for the 4C final 12 months; a single new instance was offered in 2023.
Jeep Patriot
Units Sold: 1 Discontinued: 2017
Jeep Patriot manufacturing led to 2016 after a 10-year run, though technically talking, it did stick round till the 2017 mannequin 12 months. The compact Jeep was comparatively profitable in its decade on sale however was by no means an enormous hit for Jeep. And but, a single courageous soul determined to take house a “new” Patriot SUV in 2023.
Units Sold: 2 Discontinued: 2022
With the arrival of the Integra, the ILX turned redundant. The small luxurious sedan was discontinued in 2022. But two examples have been offered in 2023, although we suspect there aren’t many extra new examples on the market regardless of being only a 12 months outdated.
Chrysler Town & Country
Units Sold: 2 Discontinued: 2016
The Chrysler Town & Country lived a significantly lengthy life previous to its 2016 departure. The authentic minivan debuted in 1990 and had an on-again, off-again manufacturing run till its official discontinuation eight years in the past. But one way or the other, someplace in America, two new Town & Country minivans discovered houses in 2023.
Units Sold: 2 Discontinued: 2017
Seeing common automobiles promoting new after a number of years in limbo is mind-boggling, however with a specialty automotive just like the Viper, it makes extra sense. Dealers generally maintain onto such machines to assist draw of us into showrooms, however final 12 months, two of them went to non-public garages after being discontinued for seven years. The query is: How many extra would possibly nonetheless be hiding in dealership storage?
Dodge Dart
Units Sold: 3 Discontinued: 2016
Remember the Dart? Dodge rebooted the storied nameplate as a font-wheel-drive sedan in 2012, making its debut on the Detroit Auto Show. However, manufacturing solely lasted 4 years earlier than the trendy Dart was discontinued in 2016. Eight years later, three “new” fashions one way or the other made their approach off supplier heaps.
Chrysler 200
Units Sold: 4 Discontinued: 2017
Like the Dart, the Chrysler 200 was a compact, front-wheel drive sedan that survived just a few years earlier than being discontinued. The 200 debuted in 2010 and went on sale for the 2011 mannequin 12 months earlier than assembly its destiny simply six years later. The small companion to the enduring 300 sedan merely by no means caught on, however amazingly, 4 caught the eyes of consumers within the final 12 months.
Units Sold: 5 Discontinued: 2022
The Acura NSX has solely been gone since 2022. But for such a restricted sports activities automotive, it’s stunning to nonetheless see new fashions shifting in 2023. Acura offered 5 new NSX sports activities automobiles final 12 months, and there are still more of them sitting untouched on supplier heaps.
Units Sold: 6 Discontinued: 2022
We’ll miss the Hyundai Veloster hatchback, particularly the 275-horsepower N model. Production lasted for 11 years, from 2011 to 2022, however at the least six new Velosters discovered houses in 2023.
Fiat 500L
Units Sold: 7 Discontinued: 2020
The bigger Fiat 500L wasn’t as fashionable as its showroom siblings the five hundred and the 124 Spider. Only seven of those zombie SUVs have been offered final 12 months by comparability, however that’s nonetheless stunning contemplating manufacturing led to 2020.
Units Sold: 7 Discontinued: 2021
Toyota had its fair proportion of zombie automobiles offered in 2023. It begins with the previous-generation Land Cruiser, which bowed out in 2021. Seven of the expensive SUVs have been offered in 2023, and Toyota tells us there are nonetheless two unclaimed Land Cruisers on the market someplace. If the place they’re, please tell us.
Fiat 500
Units Sold: 16 Discontinued: 2019
The gas-powered Fiat 500 left the US marketplace for good in 2019, with an electrical model set to replace it in 2024. But there have been nonetheless some consumers who yearned for the fuel-sipping supermini. A stunning 16 new Fiat 500 fashions made it to 2023 earlier than discovering homeowners.
Dodge Grand Caravan
Units Sold: 27 Discontinued: 2020
The minivan that began all of it again within the early Eighties died 4 years in the past after a vastly profitable 37-year manufacturing run. But some consumers nonetheless have a keenness for the enduring minivan; 27 households put a brand new Dodge Grand Caravan of their storage in 2023.
Fiat 124 Spider
Units Sold: 28 Discontinued: 2020
There should have been a bunch of 124 Spiders parked on Fiat heaps subsequent to these also-undead 500s. Even although the roadster was discontinued in 2020, Stellantis gross sales knowledge exhibits a minimum of 28 Italian roadsters discovered houses final 12 months.
Hyundai Accent
Units Sold: 31 Discontinued: 2020
For years, the Accent reigned because the Hyundai’s funds possibility. But in 2020, it was formally discontinued. While it might be useless, the compact remains to be dishing up entry-level gross sales with 31 examples offered in 2023.
Dodge Journey
Units Sold: 36 Discontinued: 2020
With Dodge scaling again its lineup to focus extra on efficiency, the dated Journey SUV handed strolling papers in 2020. But apparently, there have been nonetheless fairly just a few left on supplier heaps going into final 12 months. It clocked 36 gross sales in 2023.
Toyota Avalon
Units Sold: 55 Discontinued: 2022
The Avalon nonetheless has followers in America, even with the brand new Crown taking its place. The Avalon was formally discontinued within the US in 2022, however even a 12 months after the sedan’s departure, 55 new Avalons discovered houses within the US final 12 months.
Toyota C-HR
Units Sold: 777 Discontinued: 2022
The C-HR is one thing of a technicality on this listing for a few causes. Among different issues, it is nonetheless out there in markets outdoors the US, although it formally exited the States in 2022. Moreover, it was nonetheless pretty frequent at dealerships in 2023. 777 models have been offered throughout America, making it the youngest and hottest zombie of all of them.
When it comes to dealing with a breakdown, being prepared can make all the difference between inconvenience and danger. In this article, we will determine which warning light you should have in your breakdown kit.
Warning lights come in various shapes and sizes, ranging from strobing to multi-colored lights, triangles, and flares. Some lights have more specific purposes than others. To determine the best warning light, we evaluated their brightness from a distance in dark, unlit conditions, as well as at night with streetlights. We also considered their performance in bright daylight. Additionally, we assessed the ease of securely mounting the warning lights, their perceived durability, and whether they were compact enough to be stored conveniently in the car. We also looked for any additional useful features they offered.
The Wolfteeth Warning Triangle is compact enough to be stored easily in a boot cubby, yet it feels sturdy. It features a triangular light array with various flashing modes, making it clearly visible even in bright sunlight. There is no mistaking it for anything other than a breakdown warning sign. It also includes a very bright torch function that can be used to illuminate the car if you need to perform roadside repairs. The triangle can be propped up, allowing you to work hands-free. It is rechargeable but can also run on AA batteries. This tool offers excellent value, as it feels durable and can be used for everyday tasks in addition to emergencies.
The Kraser KR400V16 Emergency Light feels durable and offers excellent brightness despite having only one light mode. It remains highly visible even on sunny days. It comes with a magnetic base and a large hook, allowing for easy hanging from a door mirror or warning triangle. It also doubles as an effective torch. We appreciate its compact size, as it can fit comfortably in a glovebox or any small space in the car, like the spare-wheel well. Although it is not rechargeable, it is still one of our top choices due to its convenience, brightness, and affordability.
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