A curable coating composition capable of acid catalyzed crosslinking, comprising at least one active hydrogen-containing resin, at least one curing agent present externally and/or internally as a part of the active hydrogen-containing resin, and a catalytic amount of one or more metal sulfonates of Formula through: wherein M is selected from Ti, Al, Zr, and W; x is a number of from 1 to 6; wherein for Formula, Z is a organic radical selected from the group consisting of a linear, branched, saturated or unsaturated alkyl having from 1 to 40 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl having from 5 to 40 carbon atoms, which alkyl and cycloalkyl may optionally be substituted, an aryl having from 6 to 40 carbon atoms, an aralkyl having from 7 to 9 carbon atoms, wherein the aralkyl optionally may be substituted with an alkyl having from 1 to 36 carbon atoms, and the organic radical being connected to the sulfur atom by a carbon atom; wherein for Formula, each of R 11 and R 12 independently are the same or different and are linear or branched alkyl group having up to 40 carbon atoms, which is optionally substituted, y' is 0 to 3, and z is 0 to 3 with the proviso that y'+z is 1 to 4; wherein for Formula, R 10 is an alkyl group having up to 40 carbon atoms and x' is 1 or 2, wherein for Formula, R 51, R 52, R 53 and R 54 are independently linear or branched hydrocarbyl groups having up to 40 carbon atoms; l, m, n' and p are integers from 0 to 4 and the sum of l+m+ n'+p is at least 1; wherein for Formula, Y is a radical independently selected from the group consisting of an alkyl having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, an cycloalkyl having from 3 to 20 carbon atoms, an aryl having from 6 to 18 carbon atoms, a halogen, an alkoxy having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a hydroxyl, and an aryloxy of from 6 to 18 carbon atoms; y' is an integer from 0 to 4, w is an integer from 0 to 2, and z is an integer from 1 to 3, with the proviso that when w is 0, y' is an integer from 1 to 4 and z is an integer from 2 to 3 and when y' is 0, w is an integer from 1 to 2 and z is an integer from 1 to 3 and R is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, an alkyl having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl having from 3 to 20 carbon atoms, and an aryl having from 6 to 18 carbon atoms, wherein the one or more metal sulfonates includes aluminum dodecylbenzene sulfonate. wherein M is selected from Ti, Al, Zr, and W; x is a number of from 1 to 6; wherein for Formula, Z is a organic radical selected from the group consisting of a linear, branched, saturated or unsaturated alkyl having from 1 to 40 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl having from 5 to 40 carbon atoms, which alkyl and cycloalkyl may optionally be substituted, an aryl having from 6 to 40 carbon atoms, an aralkyl having from 7 to 9 carbon atoms, wherein the aralkyl optionally may be substituted with an alkyl having from 1 to 36 carbon atoms, and the organic radical being connected to the sulfur atom by a carbon atom; wherein for Formula, each of R 11 and R 12 independently are the same or different and are linear or branched alkyl group having up to 40 carbon atoms, which is optionally substituted, y' is 0 to 3, and z is 0 to 3 with the proviso that y'+z is 1 to 4; wherein for Formula, R 10 is an alkyl group having up to 40 carbon atoms and x' is 1 or 2, wherein for Formula, R 51, R 52, R 53 and R 54 are independently linear or branched hydrocarbyl groups having up to 40 carbon atoms; l, m, n' and p are integers from 0 to 4 and the sum of l+m+ n'+p is at least 1; wherein for Formula, Y is a radical independently selected from the group consisting of an alkyl having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, an cycloalkyl having from 3 to 20 carbon atoms, an aryl having from 6 to 18 carbon atoms, a halogen, an alkoxy having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a hydroxyl, and an aryloxy of from 6 to 18 carbon atoms; y' is an integer from 0 to 4, w is an integer from 0 to 2, and z is an integer from 1 to 3, with the proviso that when w is 0, y' is an integer from 1 to 4 and z is an integer from 2 to 3 and when y' is 0, w is an integer from 1 to 2 and z is an integer from 1 to 3 and R is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, an alkyl having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl having from 3 to 20 carbon atoms, and an aryl having from 6 to 18 carbon atoms, wherein the one or more metal sulfonates includes aluminum dodecylbenzene sulfonate.