The 25th annual North American International Auto Show is gearing up to be the largest in years. Officials say ticket sales are up for all events and automakers are planning to display hundreds of vehicles at this year’s show, including more than 50 new car and trucks.Watch video
DETROIT, MI- The 25th annual North American International Auto Show is gearing up to be the largest in years.
Officials say ticket sales are up compared to last year and automakers are planning to display hundreds of vehicles at this year’s show, including more than 50 new car and trucks.
“It’s going to be bigger, brighter and better than last year, again, because we are coming off of a tremendous sales year,” said NAIAS 2014 chairman Bob Shuman. “All around, the optimism that was there last year is just bigger and better this year.”
With about 796,000 people attending the show in 2013– the highest attendance in nearly a decade – officials anticipate this year’s to be the largest since the early-2000s, as 35 brands from 16 automakers display more than 700 vehicles.
The Detroit automakers alone are expected to showcase dozens of all-new or substantially redesigned vehicles for the first time in Detroit, including the 2015 Ford Mustang and 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06.
“I think that Mustang is going to be a very popular car for people to look at during this year’s show,” said Shuman, a third-generation Metro Detroit car dealer. The Detroit auto show will be open to the public from Jan. 18-26 at Cobo Center, One Washington Blvd., following Press Preview Jan. 13-14; Industry Preview Jan. 15-16; and the Charity Preview featuring musician Sheryl Crow on Jan. 17.
An emerging trend for this year’s show is high-performance sport and muscle cars. About 15-20 of the new debuts this year are expected to fall in that category.
Kelley Blue Book senior analyst Karl Brauer said the amount of “fun” vehicle debuts, including a dozen or so concept cars and trucks, is a sign of the strength of the U.S. auto industry, which sold 15.6 million vehicles in 2013 -- marking the highest sales volume since 16.1 million vehicles in 2007.
“The theme is ‘we’re alive again,’ ” said Brauer, adding automakers are having a lot of fun with “frivolous, niche specialized products.”
Brauer said he expects everything from the vehicles to the automakers’ displays -- valued at about $200 million -- to be more over the top than any time since the recession.
One thing not expected to be a big part of this year’s show are “green” vehicles. Automakers will have alternative-fuel vehicles on display, but they are not expected to be in the spotlight like they have been in year's past. Instead, pickup trucks are once again taking center stage at this year’s show, including a new entry from each of the Detroit automakers.
GM’s midsize pickups, including the world debut of the all-new GMC Canyon, will make their first public appearance in Michigan; Chrysler announced the return of its Ram 1500 Mossy Oak Edition earlier this week; and Ford, although it hasn’t confirmed its debut, is expected to unveil its next-generation F-150 pickup truck.
“You can just feel the excitement and the optimism of the auto industry going the direction that it’s going,” said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan following a tour of the auto show floor and Cobo Center on Thursday. “It’s going to be a big year.”
With the show expected to be the largest in years, numerous high-profile officials from Washington, D.C., including U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, are expected to attend.
The NAIAS is considered one of the top global automotive events in the world and of huge importance to Metro Detroit. In the past 25 years, officials estimate the show has had a $9.7 billion economic impact on the region. This year is expected to have a $365 million impact. The auto show’s venue, Cobo Center, also should draw some attention from attendees. The more than 50-year-old Detroit convention center is in the final stage of a $279 million renovation.
Visitors to last year’s Detroit auto show may have noticed a few renovations, but this year they’re much more apparent. In the last year, officials have finished major renovations to the building’s exterior and turned the former Cobo Arena into a new Detroit-inspired food kitchen, glass ballroom and conference center.
“It’s amazing – between the cars and the food it’s hard to imagine you could have a better time,” Duggan said. “Cobo’s never looked this great.”
Tickets to the 2014 public show days are $7 for senior citizens and children between 7-12 years old; $13 for adults; and free for children 6 and under. Tickets for the black-tie Charity Preview are $350. For more information on tickets, visit naias.com.
Follow all of the most recent news for the 2014 NAIAS at mlive.com/naias.
Michael Wayland covers the automotive industry for MLive. Email him at MWayland@mlive.com & follow him on Twitter @MikeWayland or Google+.