The LA Auto Show may open to the public tomorrow, but there won’t be much home-grown talent on display on American soil.
Whereas foreign competitors are busily launching a cluster of new vehicles and green cars at the annual showcase, such as the BMW Mini E, an electric two-seater, General Motors and Chrysler will be virtual no-shows at the event as they are not sending any senior executives or holding any Press conferences.
Ford will be represented at the event but will face stiff competition for attention with Japanese and European car makers turning up the heat. The company will unveil two new hybrid cars including the new Fusion hybrid vehicle, which Ford hopes will prove a significant match to the Toyota Camry hybrid, a massive seller in the US.
To further the foreign flavour, BMW, for example, plans to launch the Mini E in 2009 and will soon have the vehicle leased on to the roads of California, New Jersey and New York while Toyota will start building its Venza crossover in the near future.
It seems that GM and Chrysler may be missing a good opportunity as the eyes of the motoring world fall on LA this weekend. Auto shows give manufacturers an opportunity to float new ideas. The show will be open from Nov 21-30.
