Los Angeles Auto Show: Before the Show, Part 2

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If you haven't read part one, click here. See you back here in a few minutes!

So, what IS everybody doing here? Think of it as the B to B before the B to C. The media is here looking for a good story. The brands holding press conferences are going to include the most pertinent information about their brands. This year, the common thread was fuel economy.

Several declarations on this topic included stats on the average fuel economy for a brand or how many models in the line-up could boast 35 miles per gallon or higher.

While presentations are generally made by corporate Presidents and Veeps, there’s some celebrity action too. At Mazda’s presentation, Patrick Dempsey was in the audience and acknowledged because of his involvement with their racing arm. He stood up briefly. The crowd cheered. I was way in the back of the sea of people and only saw him on the big screen. Drats.

I was, however, fortunate enough to get to the Kia show early. The photographer pen, a raised platform with a railing around it, had yet to fill up:

But back to the celebrity spotting. At Kia’s press conference, two brand new, hilarious commercials featuring basketball player Blake Griffin, who plays with the Los Angeles Clippers, were shared. Blake appeared onstage as part of the presentation bantering and standing tall for about five minutes.


But wait! Let’s get back to the cars, the REAL stars. There are lots of vehicles that are truly meant to draw attention, like this one, from Smart:

And there’s always a luxury version of something. Fiat, recently landing back on U.S. shores after a long absence (do you recall the Brava or the 124?) is making a splash with Jennifer Lopez. But did you know that you could make a stylish statement in a Gucci edition? Available in black or white:

Note the accessories on the wall behind the car. If you’re going to have the car with this prestigious brand, why not have some accessories too? I may go back for consumer days just to observe reactions to this co-branding experiment.

The exhibits also play an important role, reflecting the imagery of the brand. Some are fun; others have a more luxurious look to them. How cushy is your carpet? One of my favorite exhibits was from newcomer, Coda. The colors of tan, yellow, and teal went together nicely. They had the best overhead display. Surprisingly, most brands don’t take the time to decorate the ceiling, but it made the whole Coda exhibit, which was tucked back in a corner, feel more intimate. But I am taking away points for the smelly flooring that looked like 1962 linoleum.

Speaking of Coda, they will be introducing their all electric sedan very soon. The car’s appearance is a bit lackluster, but my roaming camera, spending little time strapped on my shoulder, captured some beauty:

Wrapping up, here’s a few other highlights for you. If you’re in the great Los Angeles show and happen to attend the show this week, let us know what you enjoyed.

Hyundai Veloster

Honda CRV

Land Rover Range Rover Evoque

Volvo Concept Car

Cadillac Ciel

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Before the Auto Show: Welcome to Press Days!

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Two days, non-stop, moving from exhibit to exhibit every 45 minutes or so. You must be a fast walker to get a seat for each “act”. The major stars today are made of shiny sheet metal. Oh, don't be bored, there's a celebrity or two thrown into the mix. Lots of gents in black or dark gray suits far outnumber women in any audience. Most women dressed somberly as well, including myself. At any given time, you’ll see waves, hugs, small huddles of intense conversation, and people whizzing by carrying tall tripods or pulling a wheelie behind them.

Where are you? Press days at the Los Angeles Auto Show. And no, I'm not going to share a bunch of car reviews with you. Plenty of those already available. Instead, I’ll tell you a little bit about the day, starting with two things you don't see:

• Pretty models.
• A full array of vehicles for some brands; chairs hold higher importance.

The rest of the cars and the models will be there for the consumer days though. Whew, right?

The day began promptly at 8AM in room 515, a vast space with plenty of seating for all. A quick intro from the Motor Press Guild and then the keynote speaker, Takashi Yamanouchi, President and CEO of Mazda Motor Corporation. His speech was lively and chock full of Mazda heritage and terminology, from the Wankel engine to the more recent and enduring “Zoom Zoom” tag line.  I quickly befriended a woman who told me she “works on the Motor Press Guild website” but looking her up on LinkedIn that evening, I realized she was being modest!

Afterwards, the crowd moved from exhibit to exhibit, growing in numbers as the day progressed and soaking up news, including new car debuts, first looks at concept vehicles and announcements for important awards. Not every brand holds a press conference, but many do; day one included  seventeen of them, actually sixteen, since one was a “double bill”.

And it can be hazardous. Not just bumping into rushed people or folks appearing confused about where to go next (like me), but avoiding various stages of construction still going on, ladders, floors being altered, and the last speck of dust being removed from a vehicle.

Removing dust from an Audi

Final touches on the Hyundai exhibit

Waiting for the show to begin.

I managed to get yelled at by a gent who scored a seat at the Hyundai exhibit. Stepping aside slightly to let two polite guys (they said excuse me) through the crowd, I apparently moved into this fellow’s “zone”. He tapped me hard on the back and said something nasty. I said “I was letting them through”, then I stepped about 3 inches to the right. That seemed to pacify him.

Have a seat and we'll serve you!

And the food! Many brands provided snacks. The best edibles I found were at Kia, where servers came around several times before the 2:05PM “show” with chicken and shrimp dumplings, and my personal favorite for the day, spicy tuna in a crispy cone. I passed on the Kogi beef. Last year, Kia was serving up sliders, but this year they kept it more aligned with the brand heritage.



This ends part one; yes, there's more. For those of you who want to linger a bit longer, here’s a classic Mazda commercial that enlightens us to the fact that piston engines go “boing”... click here

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