Tired of competing for auto world attention with shows in New York City, Chicago, and most notably Detroit, the Los Angeles Auto Show this year decided to one-up the others by starting early.
The results of moving its typical mid-January period to 10 days in early December are evident: more auto makers participated with more cars and models, and more people than ever attended the event December 1 to 10 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
An unprecedented 1,000 models were displayed – compare that with the 99 cars at its inaugural event in 1907 – attracting about 1 million visitors and droves of print, online and television automotive reporters and editors.
Golf superstar Tiger Woods joined General Motors Corp. chairman and CEO Rick Waggoner to unveil the new 2008 Buick Enclave luxury sport-utility vehicle. Waggoner took the opportunity as the event’s kickoff keynote address to announce GM’s comitment to creating a new type of gas-electic hybrid.
The fact that GM’s chairman chose Los Angeles as the locale for such a major announcement says a lot about the attractiveness and success of the L.A. Auto Show this year.
A New Beginning’ for the Los Angeles Auto Show
Previously the Los Angeles Auto Show was designated to compete with the North American International Auto Show in Detroit each January. The timing was brutal, as automotive idustry leaders, enthusiasts and journalists often opted for Detroit over Los Angeles, and then to attend other shows in New York City or Chicago at other times during the year.
After three years of planning with industry leaders, the Los Angeles Auto Show moved to December, and 47 of the world’s automakers came with it. Featured were 35 World and North American debuts, including seven concept car World debuts, from Acura, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Mazda and Volkswagen and Saab.
The L.A. Auto Show also received its first-ever sanction by the the international trade association OICA (Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d’Automobiles), which set the show on its global auto show calendar.
This year’s theme was as appropriate as it gets: “A New Beginning.” For the first time key automotive leaders made it a priority to get to the Los Angeles event, bringing with them enough new models and concept cars to attract and estimated 1,000 journalists.
L.A. Auto Show 2006 Highlights
Manufacturers chose Los Angeles this year for earlier big media splashes. Nissan debuted its Altima Coupe, planning a 2008 release as a model, showing off its visual similarities with the Infiniti G35 coupe (but dissimilarity in pricing). Land Rover unveiled what ultimately would become the most affordable Land Rover, the Land Rover LR2. And imagine the Hyundai Hellion concept if it ever moves beyond the conceptual phase: a diesel engine-powered Hyundai off-road vehicle.
For other concepts, the Acura Advanced Sedan concept indicated a movement by parent company Honda toward larger American-style automobiles. The Honda Step Bus concept resembles the Scion, and its design allows for an unusually small frontal area that seemed to attract attention at the show.
Beyond the conceptual phase are a Chrysler Sebring convertible that will return in a larger, taller format in 2008; and the Kia Rondo, a late-2007 model that will come in five- and seven-passenger configurations.
The 2006 L.A. Auto Show was the most influential in the event’s 100-year history – and plans are already underway to keep the momentum going. Beginning next year and continuing annually, the event will be moved to even earlier dates, in mid-November. Expect the same, or more, attention from automakers.
Photos taken with the Kodak EasyShare Z612 by Derek Emery.
