Musings of a Cleveland Auto Show Junkie
CLEVELAND -- The 2014 Cleveland Auto Show in a word? Electric -- literally.
The moment my husband, Jack, and I passed through the doors of the International Exposition Center, our senses were assaulted by bright lights, gigantic blinking video displays, voices projected over P-A systems and the smells of pizza and cinnamon-tinged baked goods. More to the point, though, was the electricity that seemed to emanate from the crowd; we heard it in their voices and saw it in their smiles as they rushed to locate whatever model they came to find.
The annual show is an extravaganza for all ages. Youngsters make a beeline for the food court or to ride the 125-foot Ferris wheel that, for two bucks, offers a spectacular view of a very frozen Lake Erie from the top. Truth is, that's one of the first places Jack and I headed as well. To our delight, no doubt eyeing the cameras around our necks, the young attendant asked if we'd like him to stop the wheel up there. “Of course,” we responded almost in unison.
Another attraction we were happy to see again is Hank, Ford Motor Co.'s see-through blue animated robot that interacts with visitors. "Hello, Sir," he said as he pointed a metallic finger at a visitor. "What's your name?"
"Chet," the human answered, somewhat hesitatingly.
"Nice to meet you, Chet," came the robot's quick reply, followed by a very surprised look on Chet's face.
The noise level was about the same as other years we've come to the show, although we agreed the crowd wasn't as large. Other differences were apparent, though, most notably the absence of "freebies" such as tote bags and manufacturers’ slick brochures. Yes, freebies can still be had, but in most cases the only way to snag them was to strike up a conversation with one of the smiling sales folks stationed in the display booths. Not a bad idea, I thought -- cut down on waste and at the same time force human contact with potential buyers.
One spot that never goes out of style is the room featuring classic vehicles (as oldies but goodies ourselves, that's where we headed first). In here, there's no rush; moseying is a more appropriate description. And the smiles aren't just for the vehicles, but for other people who were enjoying a walk through memory lane. Several times, someone we never before laid eyes on struck up a conversation that almost always included the words, "good old days."
The two of us certainly had plenty to talk about: Here were at least two 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air models -- the first set of wheels I drove after I got my license, never mind how many years ago. We paused for a while at the 1964 Corvair, remembering the 1960 model that was the first car we ever owned (and which we kept for a couple of years after we got married, trading it in well after Ralph Nader declared it Unsafe at Any Speed).
New cars are the main attraction here, of course, and each and every one on the roughly one million-square-foot exhibition floor was spit-shined to a fare-thee-well, all the better to elicit sparkles from the overhead lights.
Once again, there’s something for everyone. Need lots of room? Try a Honda Odyssey.
Thinking small? Take a peek at a Mini Cooper or a Spark, Chevrolet’s first mini-car for U.S. and Canadian markets.
A few models, such as the not-yet-for-sale Chevrolet Corvette Z06, rotated on pedestals as young, nattily-attired spokesmen and women (more often the latter) touted the features. Some were locked to keep visitors out while others invited those who wanted a closer look. Standards such as the Ford Thunderbird and Chevrolet Corvette garnered the most attention as people lined up for a chance to sit behind the wheel. New to my eyes this year (and in what I suppose was an attempt to thwart thievery) was the absence of gear-shift and radio-dial knobs in at least one of those snazzy sports cars.
Elsewhere, test drives turned into reality. The racetrack driving simulation Ford hosted seemed to draw the most attention, but more was in store for those who wandered to the back of the showroom. To the left, a test track offered free rides in Dodge Ram trucks, which we passed. To the right was a more impressive Jeep track, which we didn't. Our driver took us on a short but wild ride over an obstacle course that included a bed of uneven logs and an incline so steep that on the way up I couldn't see anything out the front window except the hood.
Everywhere, collecting personal information was the order of the day. One question in the required pre-ride touch-screen survey -- which also collected names and addresses, of course -- was how likely would it be that we'd recommend a Jeep to our friends. If we ever had doubts about the durability and versatility of the brand, they disappeared in that few-minute ride. And yes, our response to the same question post-ride was a higher number.
Since we weren't in buying mode, we didn't pay much attention to sticker prices. But from what we heard here and there from other folks, this year's tags weren’t all that well received. "Highest prices I've ever seen," one muttered to a companion, preceding that comment with an expletive this paper won’t print. In comparison, the window sticker on that 1964 Corvair was a mere $2,499.
Of course, it's all relative. A dollar back then would translate to about $5 today. And as the perky hucksters happily pointed out, today's models come equipped with every possible bell and whistle, such as front-seat WiFi, heated steering wheels, hands-free parallel parking and things that go beep in the night should you fall asleep at the wheel.
As someone whose first experience with a telephone was a wooden box with a crank, when it comes to technology I'm easily impressed. Paying through the nose for it, though, is entirely another story. It'll be at least a couple more years and visits to the auto show before we no longer can live with the car we drive.
Meantime, we know we won't be forgotten. We're both watching our email boxes for the "special announcements and offers" Chrysler will send us after we signed up for that Jeep ride. (Already, we received a copy of the photo taken of us with an in-car camera during that ride). Ah well, I guess that's just one item in the price of progress.
Fortunately for us, so too is the delete button.
Copyright 2014 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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