This year the event is much more subdued. Less cash means less splash.
If attendees were looking for the distinctive Dodge Ram horns and Jeep waterfall -- which spelled the Jeep logo in water as it dropped to the floor - forget it. They aren’t there.
Don’t even expect to see all automakers displaying their wares.
Some companies, notably Nissan Motor Corp., have decided that 2009 will be such a bust that they are skipping the Detroit show altogether. Nissan won’t even have a dealer-supported presence at the show!
The splashy Detroit Big-3 appearance at the show turned into a no-frills affair after the recent grilling given their top management in Washington.
The first time they flew into Washington, looking for government handouts, they arrived in private jets. Humbled by the reception they received on Capitol Hill, they meekly arrived by car the next time.
General Motors Chairman and Chief Executive Rick Wagoner didn’t even use an SUV. He made the next trip to Washington in a diminutive Chevy Malibu hybrid automobile (see photo in posting below).
More on the Detroit Auto Show here.
A picture of my cave
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