It's been the big dog on the auto show circuit for awhile now, but some behind-the-scenes political fighting threatens to derail the Detroit Auto Show altogether. Daniel Howes details the issues in his latest column for the Detroit News and it's not pretty.
It begs the question: Does anybody still care? With so much bad blood surrounding the Big Three and their respective financial issues, is Detroit still enough of a draw to lure the world's major manufacturers to a show in Michigan in the dead of winter?
altimadude00 says:
02:14 PM, 04/21/09
Nostalgia is everything. Change is bad. However, I don't think I'd miss it. the Chicago Auto Show is still bigger....and older and arguably more established.
brn says:
02:40 PM, 04/21/09
I've never been to Detroit, but I'd miss the auto show if it went away. Detroit is the hub of the domestic automotive industry. On purely principle, they need an auto show.
greenpony says:
02:48 PM, 04/21/09
As long as they don't take away the Chicago Auto Show -- the one I actually go to -- I'm fine.
bankerdanny says:
02:59 PM, 04/21/09
Maybe it's my homer pride as a Chicago area resident, but on what basis do you think that Detroit was the "Big Dog for quite a while"?
Detroit certainly picked up in prominence over the past few years. but Chicago has always been the bigger show.
sushilcherian says:
01:27 AM, 04/22/09
Yes very definitely I would care if it went away. The words "Auto Show" for me will always be associated to the NAIAS Detroit Auto Show. When I was in Detroit I religiously attended the Auto show every year. It will be sorely missed. The major US OEMs are based out of Detroit with a lot of plants in the nearby vicinity. The employees will miss it a lot. The auto enthusiasts like myself will miss it even more - I hope it can be rescued and made better (like the Auto industry itself).
rsholland says:
06:18 AM, 04/22/09
I'd miss it. If nothing else, the Detroit show is the spiritual and symbolic heart of the American auto industry.
isaacl says:
08:27 AM, 04/22/09
The spirit and symbolic heart of the American auto industry needs to be SOMETHING ELSE than any certain car show.
I'm just saying.
I would not miss it at all.