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.

The three-man crew aboard NASA's Apollo 17 mission depart the moon on Dec. 19, 1972, and return to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, while leaving behind the third U.S. lunar rover, which was co-engineered by Boeing and General Motors.

The last of Ford Motor Co.'s two-seat Thunderbirds is built Dec. 13, 1957, as production shifts to the larger, second-generation, four-seat "Square Bird."

The Celica goes on sale in Japan on Dec. 3, 1970, weeks after its debut at the Tokyo Motor Show, making Toyota the first automaker to introduce a pony car in the country.

Toyota Motor, Honda Motor, Hyundai, Subaru and Kia posted higher U.S. sales in November, a sign that the industry is winding up the year with renewed momentum after an October lull. Few brands recorded declines in a month marked by higher spiffs, holiday promotions and an extra sales day and weekend.

The redesigned 2008 Chrysler Sebring convertible debuts Nov. 29, 2006, at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The 2008 model marked the first time it was available with a soft or hard top.

The 2011 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet, a quirky open-top variant of the midsize crossover, is introduced Nov. 17, 2010, at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Hirshberg, a passionate innovator and unconventional manager, left a key post at GM's Buick division and later oversaw the Japanese automaker's new design center in Southern California, where he created the Altima and Xterra and revived the famed Z car.

Chrysler discloses Nov. 16, 1989, that it is ending a troubled joint venture with famed Italian sports car maker Maserati to engineer and build a two-seat sport coupe for the American automaker.