OEReplacement News

There are great auto shows around the world: Paris, Tokyo, Berlin. But only one takes place in the cradle of the automobile industry: Detroit.

The North American International Auto Show–NAIAS–is not just a car show where you can go to look at the latest crossover, although it is that, too. Held every January, the Detroit auto show opens the new year with a look at future cars that might see production, concept cars that are flights of engineering or styling fancy, and examples of both the current cutting edge of technology, and dreams of what tomorrow might bring.

As exciting as it is to get a look at new models that won’t go on sale for months yet, the biggest attraction is usually the concept cars. All are styling exercises of some sort, but they can have very different intentions. A designer might want to showcase design language for the model, or maybe gauge public reaction to an idea. If a redesign of a car is upcoming, concepts can build interest and excitement. While some bear a relationship to a production model, whether it’s the complete shape or just a few lines, others are exercises in fantasy. They demonstrate new ideas in how a car or truck can be driven, how it can be used and how it can be propelled.

Hybrids, alt-fuel and experimental powertrains can be seen at the Detroit auto show. Sometimes, working cars powered by fuel cells, hydrogen or solar power will be displayed by the manufacturer, showcasing new technologies under development.

Detroit is also the first look that many reviewers get at new cars, before they drive them and write car reviews. Looking them over on the press days that precede the general show is a chance to see them within the context of the full model line, compare them to last year’s models, and get a sense of where the model is going.

Most of all, the Detroit auto show, held in the backyard of Ford, General Motors and Chrysler, is a chance for American manufacturers to show that, once again, they’re making the best cars and trucks in the world.


Filed under: Industry News by Josh Razgunas On: April 9th, 2010