To the outside observer, America's first two major auto shows of 2008 gave off a confused message. Are we still living in the era of the traditional gas-guzzling V8? Or is a new era of hybrid and electric cars poised to take over?
Click here to see our show highlights
While the more internationally-focused Detroit Show highlighted the industry’s ongoing technological renaissance, the homegrown Chicago Auto Show was an opportunity for yet more wagons and supersized SUVs to sneak out into the market place. The American auto industry - and its avid consumers - will cling onto sizeable SUVs and the hefty engines that power them until legislation prises them from their cold, dead fingers.
As a result, the industry is frantically resurrecting its glory days, plundering the imagery, nomenclature and attitude of the carefree 1960s and early 1970s. The revitalised Mustang was a surefire hit for Ford, and is soon to enter its second incarnation, while poised in the wings are new interpretations of classic 70s Americana, including the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger.
After Detroit, the industry heads due west to Chicago. Fewer foreign manufacturers deign to take the trip, making for a more fervently American occasion, the last gasp of traditional auto-making ahead of the traditionally rather milder wares on display in Geneva Show in mid-March. Together, the two shows give a vivid snapshot of the trends, issues and expectations of what is, for now, still one of the world’s largest auto markets.
INFORMATION
