{"id":29767,"date":"2022-09-18T13:18:47","date_gmt":"2022-09-18T17:18:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=29767"},"modified":"2022-09-18T13:18:47","modified_gmt":"2022-09-18T17:18:47","slug":"life-under-the-big-top-highlights-of-30-years-of-the-detroit-auto-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2022\/09\/life-under-the-big-top-highlights-of-30-years-of-the-detroit-auto-show","title":{"rendered":"Life under the Big Top: Highlights of 30 years of the Detroit auto show"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Detroit auto show\u2019s history dates\u00a0to 1907, when it became an annual event. But organizers took it to another level in 1989 when the Detroit Auto Dealers Association renamed it the North American International Auto Show and moved it\u00a0to chilly January.<\/p>\n

The goal: to compete\u00a0against the world\u2019s biggest shows in Frankfurt, Tokyo, and Shanghai and burnish Detroit’s global automotive cred.\u00a0NAIAS became an instant sensation, attracting each year\u2019s first model reveals and the attention of thousands of international journalists.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt got so big, it was the best show in the world,\u201d said Jason Vines, who attended his first show with Chrysler in the early ’90s. \u201cI’m sorry, Germany and\u00a0Japan. The Detroit show was the place to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cobo Center (now named Huntington Place)\u00a0was transformed into a massive exhibition space showcasing the world\u2019s latest wheels, hottest Hollywood celebrities, and the biggest annual charity event in the world. At its height, NAIAS played host to 79 vehicle introductions (in 2004) and welcomed 5,500 media (2008) \u2014 followed by two public weeks attended by nearly 1 million visitors annually.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cAll the auto manufacturers were there,\u201d continued Vines, who ultimately became Chrysler communications boss\u00a0and the ringmaster behind some of the show\u2019s most memorable debuts. \u201cThe Detroit show was\u00a0the<\/em>\u00a0international show. When they changed the name, I thought, come on, give me a break \u2014 the North American International Auto Show? But it really was\u00a0the<\/em>\u00a0international show, period.\u201d<\/p>\n

As NAIAS reboots this year with new September dates following a COVID-induced hiatus of more than three years, the auto show format is in transition with manufacturers favoring remote backdrops and internet buzz\u00a0to glitzy new model displays. The new show aims to\u00a0fill\u00a0that void with activations, outsized attractions,\u00a0ride ‘n’ drives, and electric monster trucks. Here’s a look in the rearview mirror at\u00a0some of\u00a0the Detroit auto show-palooza’s greatest hits.<\/p>\n

1992: Jeep shatters expectations<\/h2>\n

It was the stunt heard \u2018round the world. With \u201cMaximum Bob\u201d Lutz, Chrysler\u2019s vice chairman, at the wheel and Mayor Coleman Young riding shotgun, the Jeep Grand Cherokee drove down Jefferson under police escort\u00a0and up Cobo\u2019s north steps before smashing through the convention center\u2019s glass windows.<\/p>\n

Well, it was a little more sophisticated than that.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\u201cThe plate glass was fake, it was actually tempered glass that they had put in with explosive charges all around the perimeter,\u201d recalled Lutz, now retired after a legendary career that also included executive stints at BMW AG, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp., in an interview.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a guy with a remote \u2014 and the moment he saw the front bumper of the Jeep Grand Cherokee an inch from the glass, he triggered the explosives so you had a shower of glass granules.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chrysler had concluded that shattering actual glass would have been too dangerous, with shards threatening not only bystanders\u00a0but Jeep\u2019s precious human cargo.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was designed to be safe, and it was a brilliant demonstration of how you can use a low-cost PR stunt to far more effect at a product introduction than you could ever get from conventional advertising,\u201d Lutz said with a smile. \u201cThat stunt was on every TV station, every major news media in the U.S. \u2014 and around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

There would actually be a sequel in 2006 when Jeep drove another new product \u2014 the ’07 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon \u2014 off its stand and through Cobo\u2019s glass into the street.<\/p>\n

1995: Minivan meets Kermit the Frog<\/h2>\n

Chrysler was determined to create buzz for its new minivans, the Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan and Plymouth Grand Voyager, which featured\u00a0segment-first\u00a0sliding doors on both sides and a two-zone climate-control system.<\/p>\n

\"Bob<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Enter Lutz again, this time hamming it up with Chairman Bob Eaton reading giant storybooks in Mr. Rogers-style sweaters \u2014 who were then interrupted by Kermit the Frog piloting a red Caravan over their heads and onto a fake pond\u2019s lily pads, dousing onlookers with water.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur stunt matched our message,\u201d recalled Vines. \u201cOur new minivan was going to leapfrog the competition.\u201d<\/p>\n

2008: Ram \u2018n\u2019 cattle drive<\/h2>\n

If Jeep\u2019s glass-shattering stunt put the Detroit show on the map, then the Ram cattle drive may be the most ambitious.<\/p>\n

Some 120 longhorn steers were trailered in from Oklahoma to accompany the all-new Ram truck (and upstage the new Ford F-150, also introduced at the show that year). They were kept in a parking lot overnight, then escorted down Washington Boulevard by cowboys with a trio of pickups in the middle.<\/p>\n

\"In<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\u201cThis could be the greatest thing \u2014 or the worst thing I’ve ever done in my life,\u201d recalled Vines, who helped orchestrate the stunt. Sure enough, the spectacle included unscripted activity.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the longhorns start humping each other,\u201d Vines said, laughing. \u201cAnd now Chrysler\u2019s CEO was petrified. But event emcee Jim Press (then Chrysler’s marketing chief) was quick on his feet. He said: \u2018Look at those big cows trying to get a good look at the new Ram pickup truck!\u2019 The video went viral around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

The celebs<\/h2>\n

As the event grew in prominence \u2014 supercharged by media coverage and a ritzy charity ball \u2014 it naturally attracted Hollywood and musical celebrities to Detroit.<\/p>\n

The ’06 show featured comedian David Spade, who memorably introduced the new Dodge Caliber with a dig at another Dodge product: \u201canything is better than Neon.\u201d Eva Longoria, star of TV\u2019s \u201cDesperate Housewives,\u201d unveiled the Chrysler Imperial concept while Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker touted a Cadillac Escalade special edition.<\/p>\n

In 2003, the Charity Preview was headlined by superstar (and DaimlerChrysler spokeswoman) Celine Dion, who belted\u00a0her single\u00a0“I Drove All Night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Grammy<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Country music star Toby Keith introduced the 2009 Ford F-150. GM\u00a0brought in a who\u2019s who of musical talent in 2008 \u2014 Mary J. Blige, Maroon 5\u00a0and Detroit\u2019s own Kid Rock \u2014 to show off a stage-full of concept\u00a0cars. Infiniti unveiled its Q50 sedan in 2013 with the help of acrobatic Cirque du Soleil performers. Other notables over the years included Hall & Oates and actor\/singer Kevin Bacon.<\/p>\n

PR guru Vines was particularly fond of the celebrities who lingered over the sheet metal: \u201cI remember Pixar\u2019s John Lasseter \u2014\u00a0the creator of the \u2018Cars\u2019 movie \u2014 he had a ball just walking around the floor with us. And Jay Leno, of course \u2014 he really loves cars.\u201d<\/p>\n

2006: Aspen blizzard<\/h2>\n

Chrysler\u2019s first SUV, the Aspen, was introduced by a blizzard of artificial snow from the off-Broadway act\u00a0Slava’s SnowShow. Paper flakes exploded from the stage, showering the hall in what Autoline\u2019s John McElroy called \u201cthe greatest press conference of all time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Auto reveals<\/h2>\n

Glitter aside, sometimes the cars have been the stars at the auto show.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Dozens of memorable vehicles have\u00a0 sauntered across Cobo\u2019s stage, including the Ford GT40 concept supercar (in 2002\u00a0and again in 2015), the stunning Cadillac ELR hybrid in 2013, revived Toyota Supra in 2019, New Beetle in 1999, and the outrageous Tomahawk concept motorcycle powered by the Dodge Viper\u2019s V-10 engine (piloted by no less than then-Chrysler Group COO Wolfgang Bernhard in \u201803).<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

And then there was the bright yellow\u00a0Corvette Z06\u00a0that GM President Mark Reuss unveiled at the 2014 show, its 625-horse, 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 shaking the Cobo rafters of any remaining Slava’s SnowShow flakes.<\/p>\n

\"General<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Reuss gave it a nickname on the spot: \u201cThe Big Nasty.\u201d<\/p>\n

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Detroit auto show\u2019s history dates\u00a0to 1907, when it became an annual event. But organizers took it to another level in 1989 when the Detroit Auto Dealers Association renamed it the North American International Auto Show and moved it\u00a0to chilly January. The goal: to compete\u00a0against the world\u2019s biggest shows in Frankfurt, Tokyo, and Shanghai and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29767"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29767"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29767\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29768,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29767\/revisions\/29768"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}