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2022 GMC Hummer EV No. 001 at Barrett-Jackson brings $2.5 million

This year's Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Ariz., played host to a bunch of the first examples of hot new cars: VIN No. 001 of the 2022 GMC Hummer EV, 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing and CT4-V Blackwing, 2021 Ford Bronco, 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 and 2021 Ram 1500 TRX. Every single one of them sold for more than six figures, with all the proceeds of nearly $5 million going to charities, but the big winner was absolutely the Hummer with a hammer price of $2.5 million. The Bronco did nicely, too, with a selling price of $1,075,000. You can see the list of the sale prices from highest to lowest of these first examples below. GMC Hummer EV: $2,500,000 Ford Bronco: $1,075,000 Ford Mustang Mach 1: $500,000 Ram 1500 TRX Launch Edition: $410,000 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing: $265,000 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing: $165,000 Despite the Hummer going for $2.5 million, it wasn't the most expensive car to cross the block. That honor goes to a 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake that was once owned by Carroll Shelby himself. It sold for $5.5 million, the same price it sold for back in 2007. Nearly as pricey as the Hummer was a restored, numbers-matching 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 that went for $2,475,000. Related video:

Hot-selling Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator get production boost

Ford is investing an additional $25 million in its Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville to increase by 25 percent production of the hot-selling and all-new Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition SUVs. The investment adds to $900 million in previously announced spending at the plant, which also builds F-Series Super-Duty pickups and employs 8,400 workers. Assembly-line workers are putting in overtime and working voluntary weekend shifts to keep up with demand. The new investment will cover upgrades to the assembly line but does not involve further hiring, Ford spokeswoman Kelli Felker says. The popularity of the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator is a bright spot as Ford stock has been battered by Wall Street amid concerns concerns about the automaker's future vision and slowness to detect trends. Ford says the investment is an example of its bid to improve "operational fitness," one of CEO Jim Hackett's common refrains. Ford says Navigator retail sales more than doubled in January, and Navigators are spending an average of just seven days on Lincoln dealership lots as customers trade in vehicles including Land Rovers and Mercedes-Benz. Nearly 85 percent of buyers are opting for high-end Black Label and Reserve trim packages, contributing to an average transaction price increase of more than $21,000 in January compared to a year ago. The 2018 Navigator won the North American Truck of the Year award and also topped a Detroit News poll of public favorites at last month's Detroit Auto Show. Sales of the Expedition, meanwhile, were up almost 57 percent last month as the full-size SUVs also spent an average of just a week on dealer lots. Platinum trim models represented 29 percent of sales, pushing transaction price increases up $7,800. Ford gave the 2018 Expedition an all-aluminum body to save mass in its first significant redesign since 2007. The plant last year got nearly 400 new robots, mainly in the body shop, to help increase line speed, and Ford added a robot lab where employees can test software tweaks or troubleshoot issues away from the factory floor. The Louisville plant also benefits from extensive new data analytics, with seven big-screen monitors providing minute-by-minute updates showing progress against hourly targets or alerting workers to pending parts shortages. A huge spare-parts "vending machine" lets workers more quickly locate needed parts and keep inventory at necessary levels.

Hurricane Sandy cost automakers 15,000 vehicles, may have ruined up to 200k

Hurricane Sandy was the largest Atlantic storm in US history, and its total economic impact is just now coming into view. According to Automotive News, Toyota, Chrysler, Nissan and Honda are set to scrap around 15,000 new vehicles ruined by the storm. Nissan alone accounts for about 40 percent of those, with 6,000 Nissan and Infiniti models deeded "un-saleable" due to damage. The company saw 56 dealerships shuttered due to the storm, but 51 of those have since reopened.
Toyota, meanwhile, had some 4,000 vehicles at its Newark port facility, and of those, 3,000 may be scrapped. An additional 825 were dealer inventory when they were ruined. Honda and Acura dealers are reportedly sending 3,440 vehicles to the salvage yard. By comparison, Chrysler weathered the storm fairly well with 825 units destroyed, while Hyundai suffered only 400 lost units and Kia scrapped around 200.
As you may recall, Fisker also suffered some losses, and Automotive News reports the manufacturer saw 320 Karma models damaged beyond repair. Ford and General Motors have yet to come up with estimates, and no automaker has commented on the full cost of replacing the vehicles.