I much prefer to go to outdoor summer car festivals or concours type shows. They are, well – lazier. And better.

There are much cooler cars, and usually the old car show space is ringed by new car manufacturers anyway, if you feel the need to sit in that jag you lusting after. Then you can have a gin and tonic after at an outside bar. Bliss! I like the Greenwich Concours, the New Hope PA Auto show, and the Radnor Hunt Concours. Fun.

Can anyone say, PDK for the street? Years ago?

Ding Ding! Winner!

I’ve been going to the detroit show for nearly ten years, aside from the CGT what have they ever had to show? Oh look a 911! Oooh a more different 911 with a bigger spoiler!

Anyway, that’s at least a mil, which would go some way towards doing something wikkid on the Net.

A million dollars? As in….10 Cayenne Turbos? Is it really worth catching all that flak for 10 cayenne turbos?

The initial point “against” autoshows is good, but a million buck is nothing when we talk about automobile companies…

I don’t see the point of big auto shows – milling around, elbow to elbow with thousands of others to get a glimpse of a fat man blocking my view of a car. On top of that I have to pay to get in? Nah.

I would agree that a high end car show – exclusively – might have some potential draw value however it would not be economically feasible for the makers to do this. Most of these shows use the exotics as a teaser – then keep you 30 feet away – so that you need to go do something for your money. Sitting in a Saturn ain’t worth it.

If I go to the local Ferrari dealer, I can look at at the newest stuff – up close for free. Duh!

One of my cars IS a Porsche (Boxster S – maybe the best all round sports car in the world – price/handling/performance) – they were very happy to see me when I went to look! And I have recently done the BMW X-drive challenge as a guest. Might actually consider one now – the new X5 is quite impressive. This is the way to go – personalize and keep the high touch going.

Porsche’s cars have been ‘locked’ to the public for the last 5 years at our show, but seeing how people either intentionally or unintentionally rip apart some of the products I can see why they’d lock the cars. The constant smug look on the reps faces could be dropped though.

I don’t blame Porsche for skipping Detroit…..January in Detroit??? In a tired, dark, crowded venue? No thanks. The NAIAS has become as insignificant as the big 2.8, with the LA, NYC and Chicago shows all coming to the forefront in the US.

As an example, my wife is clueless about cars, but I can show her a lot of vehicles in one place that she has never seen before. Normally, I rarely pay to get in, as my old dealers always send me tickets.

Of course, I’d never buy a Porshe no matter how much money I had, so maybe I’m not their target market.

At least with the Lambo’s you got eye candy in the form of models.

Mercedes has a few models aimed at “normal” folks, like the new C class that can definitely benefit from positive press and hands on inspection by average joes…and the Smart Car needs all the face time it can get with the American public…the inevitable SLR and Maybach displays are just swagger/bait for their mass sales models.

I’d go to check out a CLK63 AMG Black Series if there was one on display…..

I DO have to disagree slightly with a few in the group here. There is a very fertile market of enthusiasts who would gladly pay for an exotic and vintage car show. In fact, it happens in every major metro-area on virtually every weekend of the year.

I could definitely see Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, and perhaps even the Germans join in on a show that highlights the old and the new. With the proceeds going to a good cause, and enough of an admissions price (and restrictions) to reduce the lie/cheat/steal crowd, I can definitely see a stronger future in this area of the market.

At least with the Lambo’s you got eye candy in the form of models.

Thanks for all your comments.

kazoomaloo:

I couldn’t disagree more with your last paragraph. This tactic might work well for Porsche, who’s customer basis is basically only super-rich enthusiasts (and snobs) with an extra $70,000 to blow on a 2-seater, but the idea that other manufacturers should follow suit is, in my opinion, mistaken.

OK, so Detroit gets 1m visitors salivating (in theory) over their mass market motors. Question: how good a sales funnel is an auto show? How many of Detroit's million man army are "in market?" What's the eventual conversion rate? What percentage do the carmakers even data capture?

While motor makers' marketing mavens fall back on ye olde brand building justification, the economics are still highly dubious. How much brand building can you do in a hall with over 100 brands vying for your attention. Sure, some the show biz glitz rubs off, but probably not as much as you or the execs imagine.

Pch101:

Interesting article, although I don’t know if I’d concur with the conclusion that the auto show is heading for dodo status.

I would think that the manufacturers’ goals for participating in the major auto shows, such as LA and Geneva, is for the media coverage. The shows are meant to be a buzz generator for the automakers’ brands, not a lead generator for the dealerships.

As AGR and other commentators point out, the Internet has all but killed the buzz surrounding all these new car launches.

That said, Autoblog's readership swells into the millions during the show. So not only do I NOT predict the end of the auto show, I WILL predict the rise of the virtual auto show.

craiggbear:

I stopped going to auto shows years ago when they started asking me to pay stupid amounts of money to look at cars that I could go to see for free.

The idea of charging admission to an auto show makes me laugh (in a Beavis and Butthead sort of way). You want ME to pay YOU to look at YOUR products? It's like those dealer decals and plate holders that people put on their car. You want to put an ad on MY car without paying me?

Henry Prevot:

I ordered my first sports car and received it June 2006, a launch 997TT. An astonishing car but where is your long anticipated review?

Sigh.

CSJohnston:

According to research conducted in the US and Canada that tracks people’s needs for automotive information and where they like to get it. Only about 2.5% of buyers in Canada and 4% in the US view auto shows as a place to get it. On the other hand, 16% in Canada and 14% of buyers use the internet as their primary source of information to make that purchase decision.

And there you have it.

XCSC:

As has been said above, the auto dealer is a HORRIBLE place to try and experience the look and feel of a car for most people – including myself. While I can’t drive it at the autoshow I can look and touch (not scratch) all I want.

Even as a journalist with unlimited access to both show cars and well-informed flacks, the circus leave me entirely unfulfilled. Driving's the thing to capture a king.

Anyway, I agree dealerships suck. As Tony Blair might say, what's needed is a Third Way.

philbailey:

As an aside, concerning the mention of Skip Barber driving school et al, I see that accident rates among high performance car owners AFTER going to a driving school increase very significantly.

I've said the same thing, only without factual verification (Death Cult).

If you can substantiate that stat, that's a perfect TTAC editorial. Email robert.farago@thetruthaboutcars.com

mrcknievel:

The super cars and high end luxury vehicles are “the hook”. This isn’t about being slighted, this is about potentially losing the ability to draw in the gawkers that AREN’T going to buy any of the exotics, but could very well be convinced to buy a Fusion.

That idea slipped my mind, which says something about the relevance of that concept in today's YouTube world– but maybe not much. 

My favorite display at the last auto show I attended: an Enzo on a tilted turntable. No PR flack, no stand bimbos, no literature.

Sweet.

The exotics and high end brands are bait…can’t fish without em IMO.

No more incoherent blokes wandering about with chocolate cake falling out of one side of their mouths and egg salad out the other.

The pet dog press won’t know what to do without a motor show.

As an aside, concerning the mention of Skip Barber driving school et al, I see that accident rates among high performance car owners AFTER going to a driving school increase very significantly.

They thought they were Gods’ gift to driving before going to school, now they KNOW they are – not.

Porsche was smart to dump that dated venue. They should be exhibiting in LA, Miami, San Francisco, Dallas, Vegas and other modern era cities. Detroit is not relevant to Porsche buyers, and the fawning press will drop their drawers for seat time in any Porsche they can get their hands on, especially if the test drive includes beautiful coastal drives. Who wants to drive anything in Detroit in January?????

Now while autoshows may change a bit, I think I’d be more shocked if the dealer experience doesn’t change exponentially as technology changes. Wouldn’t it be great if I could go to the autoshow, take a bunch of junk off my list, and then call up the dealer and schedule test drives starting at my house. Heck, I’d buy every salesman a cheap lunch/diner to have them on my turf and intimidated. Of course the big question is how dealers could confirm I was a serious buyer and not the joy rider…but alas that is a different subject entirely.

According to research conducted in the US and Canada that tracks people’s needs for automotive information and where they like to get it. Only about 2.5% of buyers in Canada and 4% in the US view auto shows as a place to get it. On the other hand, 16% in Canada and 14% of buyers use the internet as their primary source of information to make that purchase decision.

If you’re Porsche and only 2-4% of your potential market is using the auto shows as intended, that’s quite a bit of $$$/buyer!

Good marketing choice for Porsche but I have to admit, I enjoy auto shows for the spectacle and I hope they do not disappear.