New Decade...New Year...New Auto Show

This was written as a feature story for my Writing for the Media 2 class. 

It’s that time of year again. 

Chicago car lovers are flocking out to see the shiny new toys of the 2010 Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place from February 12 - 21. 

It’s not just auto show time for Chicago, however.  Nation-wide auto shows occur throughout the year, and many of them, including the ones in Minneapolis, Charleston, Detroit, Philadelphia, and San Diego, occur in these first few months of 2010.  Tokyo, Frankfurt, Paris, Geneva, New Delhi, and Thailand all host annual auto shows as well.  

U.S. auto show-goers of 2010 will enter a civic center or convention center and be welcomed by the smell of a new car, multiplied by a couple hundred.  For around ten dollars they can spend as much time as they like sitting in the newest luxury automobiles, hear salesmen pitch the newest sports cars, and take in as much info about the new vehicles and their features before they hit the sales line. 

For a lot more than ten dollars, visitors may purchase one of the new 2010 automobiles at a later time. 

The North American International Auto Show held annually at the Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan, though not the largest in North America, is one of the largest auto shows nationwide.  Popular music artists such as the Jonas Brothers and the Barenaked Ladies have performed at NAIAS’s Charity preview in years past.  According to NAIAS’s website, the NAIAS has been an annual event since 1907, and an international event for 23 years.  The NAIAS is ranked along with auto shows in Tokyo, Frankfurt, Geneva, and Paris as one of the premier international auto shows in the world.

Yet, in 2009, several auto manufacturers chose to forego attending the NAIAS and the Tokyo Auto Show.

The economic condition in 2009 caused several auto show changes both nationwide and internationally.    The number of auto companies represented at the Frankfurt Auto Show in Frankfurt, Germany, decreased from 1,046 in 2007 to 1,053, according to the September 16^th, 2009 issue of the New York Times.  Chrysler, General Motors, and Ford all pulled out of the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show.  Nissan did not attend the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in 2009, and is easing back into the 2010 NAIAS, according to the December 7^thissue of Automotive News.    

For automakers that were represented, the economy situation affected their displays at the auto show.  The September 14^th issue of Automotive News said that the 2009 Chicago Auto Show gave automakers the opportunity to cut set-up costs by offering one common stage for showcase, instead of having a separate stage per automaker. 

According to the January 12^th, 2009 issue of Crain’s Detroit business, automakers reduced their auto show display budget for the NAIAS by 30% to 60%, creating the need for more creativity in display designs.  For many designers, this meant making lighter displays, and even choosing thinner carpets.  Many auto show visitors notice the display differences that vary from one automaker to another, down to the type of carpet.  CEO of EEI Global, a design company, Derek Gentile compared the simplicity of the 2009 NAIAS to the auto shows of the ‘60s and ‘70s.  The January 19^th, 2009 issue of Crain’s Detroit Business said the 2009 NAIA was a lot more “open” with fewer displays, and more room to see the newest vehicles. 

The financial issues surrounding GMC, Chrysler, and Ford in 2009 even aroused frustration among auto show attendees in 2009, according to the April 14^th issue of the New York Times.  Several attendees took their frustration with the automakers out on the salesman and there were several reports of attendees yelling at Chrysler and GMC representatives. 

Aside from financial changes, 2009 Auto Shows represented a larger number of electric automobiles than in past years.  According to the January 19^th, 2009 issue of BusinessWeek, the theme of the NAIAS was “green, green, green.”  Ford, Toyota, Honda, and BYD Auto all showed cars that offered more miles to the gallon, while Mercedes-Benz featured both an electric concept car and a hydrogen-powered one.

That was 2009.  This is 2010. 

The auto industry seems to be leveling out, according to the January 5^th issue of the Washington Times. 

BMW’s Chief Financial Officer, Freidrich Eichiner, expressed similar confidence in BWM’s financial situation according to the February 12^th issue of the New York Times.  BWM redesigned several of their vehicles for 2010, and hope to once again be the best-selling premium automaker in Europe.

Auto show attendees will likely keep their eye on Toyota at auto shows this season after Toyota recalled several of their vehicle models after serious reports of brake failure. 

In contrast to the simple, open design of the 2009 NAIAS, the 2010 Chicago Auto Show will have over 50 interactive displays this year, according to chicagoautoshow.com.  Visitors can sing “caraoke”, participate in a live game show, and ride through the Dodge/Jeep Test Track, along with many more activities.  Even the kids can participate by driving kid-sized Jeeps or sliding down large inflatable slides. 

Despite these differences, 2010 auto shows may be similar to 2009 in other respects. 

San Francisco will soon become more electric car friendly with an increase in available car chargers according to the February 15^th issue of the New York Times, and it appears the auto shows of 2010 are following this trend.  According to the January 4^th issue of Automotive News, both Audi and Fiat released electric car concepts at the NAIAS this year, and later this year Nissan will introduce an electric car named the Leaf.

According to Sr. Media Relations Specialist Molly Steinke, the Twin Cities Auto Show will have around 500 automobiles displayed this year.  Many attendees of the Twin Cities Auto Show in Minneapolis aren’t interested in buying any of these vehicles, however, but they keep returning every year. 

Auto show chairman John Phelan believes people return to the Chicago auto show each year because the auto show is family fun at an affordable price, according to the 2010 Chicago Auto Show Press Release.  Others simply think it’s unique. 

“I sit in an expensive car I’m never going to own, with three total strangers, yet it’s not weird,” said Jessica Dass, a regular attender of the Twin Cities Auto Show. 

Another regular attender of the Twin Cities Auto Show, Craig Kemming, thinks the Auto Show is a unique venue because of the accessibility and the different types of people that attend. 

“The automobile is virtually the great American past time.  You could only make $12,000 a year, but once you’ve paid the $13, you can sit in a luxury car,” said Kemming.  “Others there see the same car and say ‘this one is only $47,000!’”