When the show opens to the public on at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, nearly 300 new cars, vans, SUVs and trucks, exotic supercars and classic cars from the 1950s will fill the convention center.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- The stars of the 17th Annual Michigan International Auto Show began rolling into DeVos Place on Monday, Feb. 2, as the Grand Rapids New Car Dealers Association (GRNCDA) and other vendors began staging the convention center's largest consumer show.
As workers set up pylons for glitzy lighted displays, classic cars and exotic sports cars drove gingerly through the arena to their parking spots in the Grand Gallery and the Million Dollar Motorway.
The motorcycle that The Fonz rode in the 1970s "Happy Days" TV series was parked off to one side, awaiting its velvet rope treatment.
When the show opens to the public at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, nearly 300 new cars, vans, SUVs and trucks, exotic supercars and classic cars from the 1950s will fill the convention center.
On Wednesday evening, the show will host its annual Charity Spectacular, a $150-a-ticket opening event to benefit the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital Foundation.More than 30 car manufacturers from around the world will display their latest offerings at the show, which concludes at 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8. This cocktail-attire evening includes a fashion show and a strolling dinner prepared by the culinary staff at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel.
While shiny paint and the latest styling will catch the eye, Blair Sharpe, president of the GRNCDA, said the technology behind the dashboards and underneath the hoods share equal billing for new car shoppers.
"We are pushing the limits on technology, which makes our vehicles better, and the improved market has brought new automotive jobs to Grand Rapids and greater revenue to the state. With so much automotive technology coming right out of Grand Rapids, this is a great place to be," Sharpe said.
The newest cars now feature accident-preventing lane departure warning and collision warning systems that will vibrate the steering wheel or seat and pre-engage your brakes, Sharpe said. Rear-facing cameras are becoming commonplace, he said.
Despite cheap gasoline at the pumps, most automakers also are showing new technologies that incorporate advanced batteries and other fuel-saving features, Sharpe said.
"Manufacturers tend to take a long term view," he said. "They all know gas prices aren't going to stay low forever and the EPA is not backing off on their miles-per-gallon mandates."
Aside from the 2015 models and a handful of 2016 pre-production cars, the show will feature the Million Dollar Motorway, a room filled with exotic, new production cars with sticker prices of at least $100,000 and the two Supercars exhibits, which will include the 2015 Dodge Challenger Hellcat, the 2015 Chevrolet Camaro 1LE and the 2015 Lexus Takumi IS 550.
The Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners will bring a fleet of 1950s classic automobiles and the 1952 Triumph motorcycle that actor Henry Winkler rode as The Fonz on "Happy Days."
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Jim Harger covers business for MLive/Grand Rapids Press. Email him at jharger@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter or Facebook or Google+.