What’s New at the Auto Show
by Dale Malcolm
The North American International Auto Show, held every January in Detroit, is the biggest auto show in the United States. Vehicle makers use the event to show competitors, the industry, the press, and the public what they have new and what they are thinking about conceptually—the concept cars.
At this year’s show, big cars remained prominent, and vehicle suppliers who didn’t have an SUV in their stable introduced one; the rest fine tuned their current offerings in this still popular category.
There was plenty of interesting glass to see, pointed out Dale Malcolm who writes our Trainer’s Corner column and visited the show for AGRR where he took these pictures.
One other item of interest for our industry was the growth of laminated glass for use in places other than in windshields. Fifty production and concept vehicles on display in Detroit at the 2005 show used laminated glass as standard or optional equipment in applications aside from the windshield.
The Enhanced Protective Glass Automotive Association points out that from being nonexistent at the 2000 show, to an approximate 150 percent increase over last year, this growth clearly demonstrates the consumer and industry embrace of this automotive safety glass.Glass was in its glory at this year’s NAIAS. Here are some of what was on view, both production and concept, when Dale Malcolm visited NAIAS for AGRR.
BMW’s 645Ci convertible sports a retractable
glass
The crew from TV’s American Chopper Show deflector.
stopped by to unveil their latest creation, a tribute to
the Lincoln Mark LT luxury truck.
Many thought it would be impossible to top last
year's
The windshield on the GM Opel Astra concept
Shelby Cobra concept but Ford teamed up with Carrol
vehicle extended halfway to the B pillar.
Shelby to create the Shelby GR-1 concept car.
AGRR
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