2021 was an exciting year in the auto industry. It brought the return of various classics like the Jeep Wagoneer and Ford Maverick, and saw more EVs than ever before hit the road. Several large auto shows opened their doors once again after disastrous cancellations in 2020, including the Los Angeles Auto Show and Goodwood Festival of Speed. In this article, we will review all of the notable automotive events that took place in 2021; both the good and the bad.

The Return of The Classics

This year, we saw an endless roster of classic cars make their way into the modern world. The Ford Bronco began production this year, marking the comeback of an off-road legend after over 30 years. To bring this famous nameplate to more consumers, a new Bronco Sport based on the Escape is also available. Ford also brought back the Maverick, but it's no longer a sporty coupe. The Maverick has transformed into a tiny pickup truck aimed at a younger audience. As for the Mustang, a new Mach 1 trim has been added to the lineup. It harks back to the original Mach 1 model with its fog lights positioned on the grille, and the sporty graphics on the hood and side skirts. Ford wasn't the only American automaker to introduce old-but-new vehicles, though.

Jeep launched the all-new Wagoneer this year, filling a space in Jeep's lineup that sat empty for years. The Wagoneer's off-road reputation and luxurious cabin make it a very competitive choice in the full-size SUV class, especially when you opt for the ultra-luxurious Grand Wagoneer. GM has also decided to bring back old legends with its revolutionary Hummer EV, which is now found in the GM lineup. And yes, it's electric. The extra fancy Edition 1 model is currently shipping to lucky owners, with Crab Walk, Extract Mode, and much more. Lesser trims, as well as an SUV variant, are also arriving soon.

Over in Japan, Nissan has finally revamped the Z sports car. Instead of looking into the future, Nissan decided to turn their little sports car into a blast from the past. The new Z features a retro design, historic emblems, and other fun easter eggs. It serves as a worthy alternative to Toyota's own retro sports car, the Supra. Acura is also pushing its way into this new trend, with the return of the much-loved Integra. So far, we've only seen it in prototype form, but it looks promising. Rather than a two-door coupe, the new Integra will be a small sedan that is to replace the ancient ILX. Don't worry, it definitely won't be boring when Acura shows us the Type S version.

At JLR, Land Rover released the two-door version of the Defender of-roader, called the Defender 90. It counts as a classic because every off-roader started as a two-door, including this luxurious British 4x4. Elsewhere, the classic Mercedes SL is back after a short hiatus. This cute convertible now sits under the AMG GT supercar as a Mercedes-AMG branded car. This new SL now features an old-school soft top roof instead of the hardtop version that sat atop the old model, but after a look inside, this little AMG becomes very new-school. You'll find a huge, S-Class-esque touchscreen amidst the high-tech ambient lighting. Now that's how you bring an old car to the modern world.

Small Cars Rise Again...In A Different Way

Many automakers have given up on small sedans and hatchbacks, as buyers are no longer interested in them. However, that doesn't mean everyone has a full-size SUV sitting in their driveway. 2021 gave rise to numerous small vehicle segments, like extra-small pickups and compact sports cars. The former consists of the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz; both of which came on sale this year, and are proving to be quite popular. Small sports cars have been around for a while, but this year saw it grow rapidly. Nissan's redesigned Z was unveiled, aimed squarely at the new Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ twins. It almost seems like the 90's all over again. As for small crossovers, we saw quite a lot of new and redesigned models. This includes the 2022 Hyundai Kona, Nissan Kicks, Toyota Corolla Cross, and Jeep Compass.

Auto Shows Slowly Make A Comeback

After almost no auto shows in 2020, it was great to see a few events return for 2021. Chicago, Los Angeles, Shanghai, SEMA, Munich, and Tokyo reopened their doors for car enthusiasts to enjoy the latest cars once again, and the Detroit Auto Show came back in the form of 'Motor Bella'. On the more prestigious side of things, the annual Pebble Beach event in California allowed Aston Martin, McLaren, Lincoln, and others to show off their latest rides, as did the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The Chip Crisis Strikes

Perhaps the most notorious part of 2021 was the semiconductor chip shortage. In modern vehicles, the semiconductor chip is crucial for infotainment systems, push-button start, active driver assistances, and other fancy features. When chip supply plummeted, the automotive industry essentially collapsed. It left tons of vehicles sitting idle at factories, waiting for the chips to be installed. The few vehicles being shipped to empty dealers often lacked certain features like heated seats and digital gauges, and this issue is continuing into 2022. The sparse supply on dealer lots also inflated car prices, even for used vehicles. We're hoping that semiconductor chip supply ramps up a bit next year, but automakers are saying that won't happen.

More EVs Hit The Road

This year, we saw the most anticipated EVs finally make their way to customers, including the Lucid Air, Rivian R1T, Mercedes EQS, and GMC Hummer EV. More mainstream models like the Volkswagen ID.4 and Chevrolet Bolt EUV also arrived at showrooms in 2021. Not only that, but electric vehicles in general are growing in popularity. According to Utility Dive, 5.6 million EVs have been sold this year. That represents a whopping 83% increase compared to 2020. As fuel economy restrictions continue to tighten worldwide, along with an ever-growing variety of BEVs on the market, this number will only increase through the coming decade.

Images: Ford, Lucid, Mercedes, Jeep, GMC, Land Rover, Nissan, Hyundai, Acura, Toyota