2008 Dallas Auto Show Wrap Up
With close to a 2 percent bump over last year’s attendance, the Dallas Auto Show is once again inching its way toward the 400,000 mark. When the final numbers were tallied, 391,941 auto enthusiasts streamed through the gates of the 2008 Dallas Auto Show, April 2-6 at the Dallas Convention Center.
"We were very pleased with the final gate this year," said Kurt Fegraeus, 2008 Dallas Auto Show chairman. "Many public shows in the DFW area reported declines in attendance this year, so any increase was very welcomed."
Dallas Auto Show attendees were treated to more than 700 2008 models, as well as a variety of 2009s and concept vehicles. Capturing their attention were beautiful exhibits from the manufacturers and vehicles they will see in the years to come such as the 2009 Aston Martin DBS, 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid, 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, 2009 Chevrolet Traverse, 2009 Hummer H3T, 2009 Chrysler Aspen Hybrid, Chrysler Imperial concept, 2009 Dodge Ram 1500, 2009 Ford F150, 2009 Ford Flex, Ford Verve concept, 2009 Infiniti FX, 2009 Hyundai Sonata, 2009 Hyundai Genesis, 2009 Mitsubishi Galant, Jeep Trailhawk concept, Lincoln MKT concept, 2009 Lincoln MKS, 2009 Nissan GT-R, Nissan Forum minivan concept, 2010 Pontiac G8 Sport Truck, 2009 Subaru Forester, Suzuki Equator RMZ-4 concept vehicle and the Suzuki Makai concept vehicle.
"This was my first year coordinating the Dallas Auto Show for Porsche. Dallas was our last show of the season, and it was a positive experience for us.The entire Dallas auto show staff, and labor crew were extremely helpful and among the most hardworking in the industry. We used our new corporate display stand in Dallas, and the customer experience that we were able to provide was truly Porsche. We look forward to returning to the Dallas show in 2009," said Philip Mauney, Events & Exhibitions, Porsche Cars North America, Inc.
New to the 2008 Dallas Auto Show was crowd favorite smart car.
"The Dallas Auto Show was a great opportunity to increase exposure for the smart fortwo," said Rob Sumner, director of marketing for Park Place Dealerships. "We were able to expose the car to thousands of people who had not yet seen the car up close and personal.
"The smart fortwo is an exceptional vehicle that people find exciting to see, and the Dallas Auto Show was the perfect setting to showcase the car," continued Sumner. "We had hundreds of inquiries about the car and people who wanted to schedule a test drive or put down a deposit for the smart fortwo. Currently, there is a 12-month waiting list to purchase the vehicle."
This year, the Dallas Auto Show enjoyed unprecedented coverage by broadcast, radio and print mediums. The Show was featured in a variety of stories on WFAA, CBS 11, NBC 5, Fox TV and Univision. In addition, NCDA President Drew Campbell was a guest on WBAP’s "The CarGuy" with Jerry Reynolds and Kevin McCarthy. Campbell, 2008 NCDA Chairman David Thomas and Fegraeus were enjoyed air-time with KLIF’s Ed Wallace.
"There was indeed a lot for the media to cover in conjunction with the Dallas Auto Show this year," Campbell said. "Gas prices are a hot topic these days, so many media outlets focused on hybrids and other high mileage vehicles such as the smart car. They (TV stations) also highlighted some of the exciting cars and trucks that will be on the road in the not too distant future.
Campbell also commended The Dallas Morning News, DallasNews.com and Cars.com, sponsors of the 2008 Dallas Auto Show, for their role in the success of the Show. "The Show’s exposure on DallasNews.com was outstanding, and there were numerous stories about the Show in the newspaper the weeks leading up to and during the Show. We look forward to continuing our partnership with them in the years to come," he said.
This year, Operation KidSafe, a child security/identification system, that was sponsored by Univision 23 was on hand Friday, Saturday and Sunday to take children’s pictures and capture their fingerprints. In conjunction with Operation KidSafe, Univision 23 was on location on Sunday along with an expert to talk about the safe installation of children’s car safety seats. Twenty quality certified safety seats also were given away during Univision’s appearance. Mitsubishi Motors and Kids Safety First also continued its National Booster Seat Awareness Initiative at the Dallas Auto Show with booster seat installation demonstrations on Sunday.
The new cars were the stars at the 2008 Dallas Auto Show, but other Show highlights included: Toyota Off Road On Site Adventure; Mitsubishi Ride ‘N Drive; an impressive Shelby exhibit from Racing Legends Motorsports; classic car exhibits; an auto enthusiast’s shopping paradise in the Allied area; and pet adoptions by Dallas Animal Services, which found loving homes for 24 of their dogs.
"The Dallas Auto Show historically attracts first-rate exhibits from the manufacturers complete with a variety of concept vehicles. This is what the public comes to the Show to see. However, we also pride ourselves in offering them even more bang for their buck with displays from classic car clubs and events such as the booster seat awareness initiative and the ride and drives. The Dallas Auto Show is a well-rounded event for the whole family," added Kurt Fegraeus, 2008 Dallas Auto Show chairman.