Q. All I seem to read about in the media are electric vehicles, as if they’re right around the corner. How many actually are sold now? — S.J. (via Internet)

A. Electric vehicles accounted for less than 2 percent of U.S. light-vehicle sales in 2019.



Q. Does the price of a vehicle affect the action of its driver when he’s faced with a pedestrian crossing a street? — J.T. (via Internet)

A. Drivers of more costly vehicles are less likely to yield to pedestrians, says a recent study published in the Journal of Transport & Health. Researchers found that every $1,000 or so in a vehicle’s price decreased the chance a driver would stop for a pedestrian at a crosswalk. The study also found that a pedestrian’s race or gender didn’t result in a statistically significant difference.



Q. I hear that BMW will change its famous logo. True? — A.H. (via Internet)

A. BMW is just updating its logo for the first time in nearly 25 years for “online and offline communication purposes.” But BMW isn’t making the change on its vehicles. The update is so slight most people won’t be able to tell the difference.



Q. I don’t think most people know that a car has many components made by outside suppliers, some of which come up with innovative items. What would such an item be? — E.R. (via Internet)

A. How about a lighter hatch or lift gate when, say, loading groceries or cargo.? Maga has come up with a composite space frame reinforcement for a lighter-weight tailgate or liftgate. It meets automaker performance standards but delivers a 10 percent mass reduction from steel reinforcements. Moreover, this innovation gives auto designers more flexibility for new styling features with more complicated and bolder shapes, says the trade publication Automotive News.

Q. Has the four-cylinder Porsche 912 of the 1960s become more desirable? For a long time, I thought the six-cylinder 1960s 911 has been the most desirable classic Porsche. — F.K. (via Internet)

A. The slick Porsche magazine “Excellence” says, “Today, the 912s have generally become accepted icons of Porsche cool.” Many buyers of a 1960s Porsche wanted a six-cylinder 911 model. However a good number bought a 912 because it cost considerably less than the 911, although the more-powerful six-cylinder was troublesome and the 912’s ultra-reliable four-cylinder had been used in Porsches since the car in 1950. The 912 actually outsold the 911 for a few years after those models appeared in 1965 because they looked the same and the 912 was more affordable. (The 912 was dropped after 1969 because it had become almost as expensive as the lowest-priced 911 and also because Porsche had to make way for a new model.)



Q. Should I buy a 1962-63 Shelby sports car with the 260-cubic-inch Ford V-8 or the 1963-65 Shelby sports car with a 289 cubic-inch Ford V-8? What about the 1965-67 Shelby Cobra with a bit 427-cubic-inch V8, which zI hear is quite a monster? — H.J. (via Internet)

A. The recently deceased Carroll Shelby, who created those cars, once told me, “Dan, those cars are bringing ridiculous prices. Hell, most of them were beat to death in the 1960s. I never dreamed that they would be going for the prices they’re now getting.” That said, the 1962-63 260 Cobra has a median value of (are you ready?) $990,000. The 63-65 Cobra is valued at $1,067,000, and the 427 Cobra’s median value is $1,100,000. It’s easiest to find a Cobra 289 because 580 were built. Total production of the Cobra 260 was only 75 because it was the first Cobra model. A total of 260 Cobra 427s were built. All were a blast to drive and did well in big league racing. Many replicas of these cars have been built. They look the same as the originals, but use modern mechanical components.  Some are pretty good and cost far less than the originals. Of course, with all that money involved, many originals have been restored.




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