Detroit auto show rebounding after recession
January 11, 2011|By DEE-ANN DURBIN and JEFF KAROUB, Associated Press Writers
2011-01-11 15:08:00 PST Detroit, , United States — (01-11) 15:08 PST DETROIT, CA (AP) --
The sunny yellow Ford C-Max minivan that greets visitors at this year's Detroit auto show says it all. After taking a pounding during the recession, the U.S. auto industry is full of optimism, and a strong mix of new products will greet buyers as they return to dealerships.
"Looking around at what's at the show, we've never been happier," said Mike Jackson, the CEO of AutoNation Inc., the nation's largest auto retailer. "We can tell a gradual recovery is under way."
The show, which opens to the public Jan. 15 and is one of the biggest in the U.S., has long echoed the mood of the industry. When SUVs were booming, car companies had elaborate displays, such as the indoor waterfall that cascaded past Jeep vehicles. When the recession hit and General Motors and Chrysler tumbled into bankruptcy, cars were spread haphazardly on bare carpet and attendance fell.
This year, there are signs of a resurgent industry. Car companies are expecting to sell at least 1.5 million more cars in the U.S. this year than they did last year, bringing total sales to 13 million or more. GM and Ford, newly lean and profitable, have multiple-story displays, with big screens and interactive exhibits. Toyota, on the mend from a series of safety recalls last year, shows some bravado with its "swagger wagon," a tricked-out Sienna minivan lined with wood floors and a gumball machine. Porsche, the luxury carmaker, is back at the show after a three-year absence, sensing a U.S. recovery.
Buyers are returning to a market with more choices in size, style and fueling than ever, including electric cars such as the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt and plug-in hybrids such as the upcoming C-Max, which can carry up to seven people.
"Throw away your conceptions of which brands to consider," said James Bell, an analyst with Kelley Blue Book. "You're going to come into a whole different world now."
At the Detroit show, visitors are treated to the Hyundai Veloster, a $17,000 sports car that gets 40 miles per gallon, and the Prius V, a hybrid wagon from Toyota. Both go on sale later this year. There are new products in every segment, from the Chevrolet Sonic subcompact to the sleeker, more sophisticated Honda Civic small car to the luxuriously restyled Chrysler 300 sedan.
