What Was The Biggest Automotive Story Of 2024?

As 2024 winds down – dragging its feet like a kid being called inside from recess – it’s time to look back on some of the biggest stories of the year, both from our coverage and from what you, dear readers, decided to obsess over. We’ve seen countless new cars arrive, a few die off for good, and others reincarnated into very strange new representations of past generations. So, let’s strap in, hit some of the highlights, and let you decide which stories defined 2024, or at least made you laugh, cry, or scream into the void.

January: Hope Springs Eternal (Until Dodge Happens)

Let’s kick things off with January, because that’s when we all had hope. Interestingly, one of our most read stories of the month was about a future Chery Pickup. A midsize truck aimed at vehicles like the Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma, it finally arrived in October in prototype form. After all the hype, it looks very much like a mix of the most popular midsize trucks on sale today.

And then there was Dodge, which, let’s face it, should probably get an honorary award for Most Exhausting Brand of the Year. That same month we heard what was nearly the end of a saga between a dealer and a soldier. The dealer evidently sold the soldier’s Dodge Demon 170 out from beneath him while he was stationed abroad. Things got so bad that Dodge itself stepped in. Perhaps your favorite story of the year has to do with one of many Dodge-related articles.

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Frankly, Dodge spent 2024 in full soap opera mode, delivering more drama than a season finale. The company “unexpectedly” lost CEO Tim Kuniskis mid-year to retirement, only for him to stage a comeback a few months later as the new boss of RAM. It was like the corporate version of “I’m outta here… just kidding.” This shuffle came on the heels of Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares abruptly stepping down earlier this month, leaving Stellantis looking like a game of musical chairs with no music.

Meanwhile, it struggled to sell the new Hornet crossover. And the new Dodge Charger Daytona made waves (and maybe not in the right way) with its Fratzonic exhaust note and driving behavior recently.

Summer Shenanigans: Trucks, Tunnels, and Tantrums

By May, things got… well, just plain weird. You might remember the story about the guy lying down in the bed of his Ford F-150. That might not sound too shocking, but the car just so happened to be driving down the highway when he did it. Then came the summer, and in July, we learned about Stellantis dealers being frustrated (which might be their default setting these days) and the construction of the world’s longest underwater road and rail tunnel.

The Home Stretch: Celebrities, EVs, and Comebacks

In October, the automotive news cycle reached full tilt insanity. Mark Zuckerberg – yes, that Zuckerberg – apparently custom ordered a Porsche minivan. Lexus teased us with its LFR prototype, Hertz wanted you to part with a small fortune to buy its Shelby Mustang Mach-E crossovers, and some poor Corvette fell off a lift in the saddest dealership incident since someone inevitably dinged a Bugatti with a toolbox.

Oh, and Toyota promised the Celica is making a comeback, while VW resurrected the Scout brand for the EV era, because what’s better than dragging dusty old nameplates out of the attic for another spin? In November, Mazda surprised us by telling that the Iconic SP coupe was designed to spawn a production car (cue cautious optimism).

The Final Lap: Jaguar and Political Firestorms

Meanwhile, classic British carmaker Jaguar managed to do something it hasn’t done in years: get people talking about it. Its advertising campaign in November, meant to kick off its rebrand ahead of going EV-only in 2026, ignited a social media firestorm, drawing more attention than Jaguar has seen in the past decade combined. Then, in December, Jaguar unveiled the first concept of its so-called “new era,” the Type 00, which sparked its own share of controversy.

More: 2025 Corvette ZR1 Hits 60 MPH In 2.3 Seconds, Quarter-Mile In 9.6 Seconds

Of course, that’s just a taste of the news this year dished out. We had plenty to chew on, like Nissan’s dramatic fall from grace and their merger talks with Honda. Then there was Donald Trump’s re-election, backed by Elon Musk, which brings a wave of proposed changes from his transition team, such as pulling the plug on support for electric vehicles and charging stations. And let’s not forget the avalanche of revised EV plans from automakers like Ford and Porsche, who seemed to be pivoting faster than a kid caught sneaking cookies.

The year’s been packed with drama, disaster, and maybe a glimmer of hope. So, what do you think was the biggest automotive story of 2024? Drop your hot takes in the comments below!