Fox is the 2010 chairman of this, the most important automobile show in the country and one of the most important in the world in spite of the economic problems of both Detroit and the auto industry generally. Aging Cobo Center in downtown Detroit is the venue and the Detroit Auto Dealers Association is the host, as both have been since the inception of the “international” show in 1989. It is the only auto show in the US sanctioned by the international body that sanctions auto shows.
Bright sunshine in January here in Detroit is as rare as optimism in the auto business has been these last couple of years. Today we have both. We can see the Renaissance Center (GM’s headquarters) basking in the winter sun out the front window of Cobo Center. Within Cobo auto manufacturers from around the world are strutting their stuff, as they do every year at this time.
Remember what was going on last year. Both Chrysler and GM were facing bankruptcy and we couldn’t even be sure whether either would survive. Ford, while facing huge debt, was not facing bankruptcy but was struggling none-the-less. The economy was flirting with disaster and consumers were cowering at home not daring to spend a penny they didn’t have to. Not a good scenario for the auto business. In spite of that dire environment the PR folks were able to prep their minions in the auto business well enough to at least show some superficial optimism, but it fell on skeptical ears.
To qoute our friend and colleague, John McElroy, creator and host of AutoLine Detroit, “last year we didn’t know how far is down. Now we’re wondering how far is up.”
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