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2005 Volkswagen JettaL.A. Auto Show
Venue aims for spotlight as major design showcase
Annual exhibit shifts its focus to stand out from exhibit rivals.
2006 Pontiac Torrent
Hyundai's sketch for Entity
2005 Ford Mustang; 2005
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LOS ANGELES - The Greater Los Angeles Auto Show is facing a sketchy future - all by design.
With less exhibition space than rival shows in Chicago and New York, and fewer new model introductions than Detroit's yearly extravaganza, the Los Angeles show is looking for a way to stand out from the crowd.
So organizers are tapping California's vast automotive design resources and hoping to carve a niche as the showcase for automotive design.
The show's media preview begins today with the debut of the new Ford Mustang convertible, Pontiac Torrent SUV, Pontiac G6 coupe and convertible, and Volkswagen's fifth-generation Jetta sedan.
Show organizers also are conducting a design competition, which has attracted entries from 11 of California's 14 major auto design studios.
"We realized that there is not an automobile designers' conference," said Barry Toepke, the L.A. show's spokesman. "There are shows that do design activities, but they're more social than educational."
The Los Angeles show is making a timely change. Design has always been important to attracting car buyers, but it is arguably more important today than ever. New models are proliferating and the quality gap is narrowing, so looks often are the big differentiator. Both bland designs and garish, over-the-top styling can sink a vehicle's chances to strike mainstream success.
If the auto industry's creative community responds to the Los Angeles show's new format, it could stand in a cutthroat industry that has cities competing for favor with automakers.
Organizers of the Chicago Auto Show, which boasts 1.2 million square feet of exhibition space - 500,000 more than Detroit's Cobo Center - are moving aggressively to raise the show's profile.
As more automakers stress design to differentiate their models, the time is ripe for the United States to host an annual show that focuses on design, said Chuck Pelly, director of the L.A. show's design conference. Currently, only the Geneva Auto Show has a design emphasis, regularly featuring works by legendary design houses such as Pininfarina and Italdesign.
Automotive design, as a craft, is at a crossroads because of increased industry competition and rising material prices, Pelly said.
"Design is such an active subject now," he said. "One of the interesting things that bother the West Coast studios is that the focus on time and money make the experimental studios get more and more production-oriented. We start losing this chance to think freely into the future."
Ford Motor Co. operated an advanced design studio, London-based Ingeni, until 2003. It was closed in a belt-tightening move.
Automakers with design studios in California range from BMW AG's DesignworksUSA, to the Pacifica Design Center run by DaimlerChrysler AG. General Motors Corp. opened a Hollywood design studio several years ago.
Imre Molnar, dean of Detroit's College for Creative Studies, said the industry could be entering another golden age for American design.
"It's an extraordinary time," Molnar said. "Stuff that is uniquely American is really resonating with people. It's very self-confident, and even, you could argue, a sense of fun."
The 2005 Los Angeles auto show has a definite American flavor, with the debut of the Mustang convertible, three Pontiac models and the Chevrolet HHR.
The Mustang convertible's introduction was delayed to accommodate last year's production launch of the 2005 Mustang coupe. The convertible goes on sale this spring.
Highlights from the L.A. auto show today:
The 2006 Pontiac Torrent, a companion to the Chevrolet Equinox, is one of the largest vehicles in the compact SUV segment and will come equipped with a V-6 engine that generates 185 horsepower. It goes on sale in late summer.
The Pontiac G6 convertible will feature a retractable hardtop when it goes on sale in early 2006. Both the convertible and coupe will feature an optional 3.9-liter V-6 engine or a base 3.5-liter V-6 engine.
The new Jetta sedan - VW's most popular model in the U.S. market - goes on sale in March. The fifth generation Jetta has a larger interior and trunk than its predecessor and will come equipped with a more powerful, 5-cylinder, 2.5-liter engine
A 540-horsepower Ferrari Superamerica convertible and experimental Hyundai Tuscon SUV that's powered by a fuel cell.
You can reach Eric Mayne at (313) 222-2443 or emayne@detnews.com.
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The Detroit News.
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