You can tell I was in a good mood that day...kids...ice cream in the car, one on the back...:)
Posted on 10/02/2022 11:24:17 AM PDT by FarCenter
DETROIT, U.S. -- Thousands of fans of the Mustang, a storied American "muscle car," stampeded into downtown Detroit, invited by its manufacturer, Ford, to see the unveiling of the new, 2024 Mustang sports coupe. The "Mustang Stampede" was easily the highlight of what was a decidedly low-key North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) held in Detroit on Sept. 14-25.
Pre-pandemic, the annual Motor City event was one of the world's most important auto shows. But, to listen to critics, it is now fighting for survival, with organizers struggling to avoid the fate faced by shows like those in Frankfurt, Geneva and Tokyo, which have either been sharply scaled back or shuttered entirely.
In the years after the local Detroit Auto Show became an international extravaganza in 1989, it routinely brought in dozens of brands -- along with 5,000 or more journalists flying in from around the world to witness up to 70 new product previews. This year, however, prominent brands like Nissan, Honda, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Kia, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and BMW went missing. At most, 1,000 members of the media turned out to witness a mere five new product debuts. Of those, four were modest updates, with the seventh-generation Mustang the only significant headliner.
And among those manufacturers who did participate, it is far from certain they will all be back in 2023. But while NAIAS has some unique problems of its own, auto shows in general are facing tough times.
"From a purely business perspective, we need to make sure auto shows are a competitive investment," Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler, said during a media roundtable. "You want to spend your marketing dollars in a not-inefficient way. You have to decide whether to be present at an auto show."
Major events like NAIAS, as well as the Tokyo, New York and Paris motor shows, can be costly, with even a modest-sized stand going for $1 million. Add in lavish, multistory displays and flashy, Hollywood-style debuts, and the numbers can climb to north of $5 million.
Often, these have been "ego-driven" excesses, said Tavares, something the industry can no longer afford, especially with so many more alternatives in the age of the internet. During the depths of the pandemic, automakers learned they could attract a worldwide audience of both journalists and potential buyers with relatively low-cost virtual introductions.
They've also discovered that there are plenty of real-world alternatives. The Texas State Fair has become a popular backdrop for introducing new pickups and SUVs. And "Monterey Car Week," including the legendary Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, this year saw the introduction of nearly two dozen luxury and high-performance vehicles, including the Acura Precision EV Concept, the Kia EV6 GT and the Bugatti W16 Mistral.
Now they all look alike so you still can't tell what kind of car it is.
If you want to buy “Made in the USA”, go to the antique shop.
Subaru makes the Legacy here. Dunno about other models.
You can tell I was in a good mood that day...kids...ice cream in the car, one on the back...:)
Unfortunately, all of the Subaru’s in this area are owned by libtards.
One of my buddies (he’s one of us) bought a Legacy for his wife. He always points out that it’s his wife’s car. When he first got it, I kidded him about it. He said they passed on the two lesbians in the back seat option.
Who cares about all the new EV’s? Expensive farce.
The joke is mostly about the older Legacy Outbacks, before the Outback became its own model.
Summer of 1979 was great. I can almost hear Earth, Wind & Fire in the background.
Not all atwitter over the GM Crud or Cruz, or whatever?
I would take a new Corvette if given one, as far as I would go with Government Motors junk.
Ohh yeah...brought back some memories just thinking of that...:)
Good one.
Dodge has been making some pretty cool cars lately. Hellcat minivan?, yes please.
I had a B. Could have doubled the number of kids.
Lived for a few weeks with 2 others in a triumph. Dried our clothes on the aerial.
Good gosh. That sounds impossible.
Trying to MAKE kids in an MG is impossible, never mind RAISING them!
Damn! That is a fine looking car. Okay, I was ready to ridicule, but if they make that it will sell even if it has caged chipmunks powering it.
I could see someone even trying to figure out a way to rip all that EV crap out and put a V8 in it!
right? private company too
I glanced at that and thought “Yeah. They don’t make em’ like that anymore...”
Then I looked closer and...Holy Cow! Is that a new car?
Now, I guess it will be great off the line, but...driving 300 miles? Not its forte.
yeah it’s an after-market car, i haven’t seen the specs yet, but it’s a gorgeous runabout...
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