Ford Motor Co. launches sales of the compact Comet — available in four body styles, two- and four-door sedans and wagons — on March 17, 1960, through Lincoln-Mercury stores.

Ford Motor Co. begins sales of the Bronco II — a rival to the Jeep Cherokee, Chevrolet S-10 Blazer and GMC Jimmy — on March 10, 1983, helping to usher in the era of the compact SUV.

Micro Compact Car Development Co., a joint venture between Swatch and Mercedes-Benz that spawned the Smart brand, is introduced March 4, 1994, with the unveiling of two show cars: The Eco Sprinter coupe with a 40-kilowatt electric motor and the Eco Speedster cabriolet with a three-cylinder gasoline engine.

Several automakers, led by Toyota, Honda and Hyundai, posted higher U.S. sales last month as consumers took advantage of rising incentives and President's Day deals. Subaru, Kia, Mazda and Volvo also saw increases, with light trucks and two extra selling days driving most of the gains. The SAAR topped 17 million.

The sedan will be freshened in 2021 and could spawn a sleek wagon featuring the latest styling cues from Hyundai's luxury brand.

American Motors — aiming to shed its roots as a maker of small, basic cars — introduces the two-door AMX, a shortened, high-performance version of the Javelin pony car, on Feb. 24, 1968.

Mazda introduces the MX-5 Miata at the Chicago Auto Show on Feb. 9, 1989, giving new life to the classic roadster.

Nissan had used British racing chassis until 1990 and its own engines, but the prototype R91CP used at Daytona was 100 percent Japan-built, with a full-carbon composite body.

With the aid of crossovers and other light trucks, gains were posted nearly across the board for the companies that have decided not to abandon the industry’s long tradition of monthly sales reports. Incentives helped, too.

Production of the Cord 810, the first American-designed and -built front-wheel-drive car with independent front suspension, begins on Jan. 27, 1936, at a plant in Connersville, Ind.

Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley's wish for a three-row Jeep is taking shape.

The XP-21 Firebird, the first gas-turbine automobile to be built and tested in the United States, debuts at General Motors' annual Motorama display of concepts and new models at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York on Jan. 21, 1954.

The Santa Fe, Hyundai's first crossover, is introduced on Jan. 12, 2000, at the Detroit auto show, throwing the Korean automaker into a key but competitive product segment dominated by the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.

Led by a steep drop in Nissan volume and smaller declines at some of its biggest rivals, U.S. light-vehicle demand fell in December, in part because of one less selling day and lower fleet demand, even as consumer incentives hit record highs. The SAAR closed out 2019 at 16.98 million, shy of forecasts.