Hindsight is 20/20, the outdated saying goes. At this level, I am simply glad to place 2020 prior to now.
It was an unusually grim journey across the solar. In recent times, it has been irritating to see persistently high numbers of visitors deaths within the U.S. — then a brand new virus comes alongside and kills a couple of decade’s price of American auto vacationers in 2020. And it is not over.
It might sound an odd time to launch this Automotive Information yearbook, however imagine me it was deliberate effectively earlier than we knew 2020 was going to be, effectively, so 2020. Our goal is to supply an almanac of types, one thing you may need to maintain helpful into 2021 or past. (That’s, for the few of you who do not hoard an entire assortment of previous Automotive Information points. Or is that solely me?)
Inside, you will discover our lists of All-Stars, Rising Stars, the largest sellers and the very best ones to work for, in addition to our conventional roundups of the 12 months’s prime tales and the individuals we misplaced. We glance again on the automobiles we liked and those who missed the mark — and remind you what is coming down the highway. And we recall how the business responded to the well being disaster, channeling abilities and compassion to handle the nation’s pressing want for ventilators and masks and meals and extra.
Once I replicate on 2020, I consider these sorts of caring actions, in addition to the outstanding resilience of the U.S. financial system and its auto business. Whereas too many sectors stay constrained, demand for private automobiles is strong, manufacturing capability is powerful and sellers have proved themselves as nimble and decided as ever.
I may also endlessly bear in mind the best way that the Automotive Information group rallied, working from residence — even AN TV produced broadcasts from residence — launching the Every day Drive podcasts, setting readership information on autonews.com and persevering with to interrupt information and clarify developments in our weekly newspaper. It is our honor to do that for you, our readers.
All of it makes me relatively hopeful about 2021.
I am hopeful that sufficient individuals can be persuaded to get each vaccine photographs in order that this carnage can come to an finish. And by this fall, perhaps, Individuals will once more be capable to take pleasure in soccer in crowded stadiums, live shows, dinners, weddings, graduations, automotive reveals and galas — a very powerful issues.
Or is that solely me? I hope not.