Recovering industry on display at Detroit auto show

The North American International Auto Show in Detroit is over for another year, and the reviews are very positive. Attendance was up: with 770,932 visitors, it was the best turnout since 2005. According to the show’s chairman, Bill Perkins, “Detroit is still the centre of the North American auto industry,” and its importance can be seen in the fact that the show draws people from around the world.

More than forty new products were unveiled this year, one of the indicators of the show’s importance. Cadillac’s new ATC, Acura’s NSX, and Ford’s new Fusion were just three of the many. Despite plenty of competition from Geneva, Frankfurt, Paris, Beijing and Tokyo, Detroit still boasts the largest display of new and concept models in the world. 

For an industry that was on the brink of collapse just two years ago, the comeback is dramatic. All three of the big US automakers posted increased sales last years: Ford was up 11 per cent, GM up 13 per cent, and Chrysler up 26 per cent. Nearly 13 million vehicles were sold last year. This compares with the dismal 2009, when the North American auto industry produced just 8.6 million cars, down one-third from the previous year. Forecasts are for 15 million vehicles by 2014, a number once considered average.