CONSUMERS : With 500 New Car Models, It Auto Be a Good Show
So you babied your old car through 1990, but now it’s time to look for a new one. How do you narrow the choices among 40 makes and 500 models?
Easy. Instead of driving to car dealerships from Camarillo to Temecula, you can one-stop shop at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show. It starts Saturday and runs through Jan. 13 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, downtown on Figueroa Street.
“The auto show provides everyone with the opportunity to be a smart shopper,” says Mickey Garrett, executive vice president of the Greater Los Angeles Motor Car Dealers Assn. The organization represents about 200 franchised new car dealers in Los Angeles County and endorses this year’s 70th-anniversary show.
“They can move from exhibit to exhibit, sit in all the cars, move the seats back and forth, try the seat belts, and most important, talk to the representative on duty and ask all the questions they want,” says Garrett.
The show draws a big crowd--567,901 people attended last year--and peak attendance is weekends. Show hours are noon to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $5 for adults; children 12 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult.
Unless you arrive early, you may find parking a problem, courtesy of construction at the Convention Center. Producers have arranged additional parking at five lots adjacent to the Transamerica Building, on 12th Street and Grand Avenue, three blocks east of the center.
Free shuttle buses will run about every five minutes between off-site lots and the center on Thursday, Friday, Saturdays and Sundays during show hours. Parking at all locations costs $5.
The show also offers free child care on weekends. Children ages 2 to 10 may be left with state-registered professionals at a child care center for up to two hours.
Remember to wear comfortable walking shoes. The exhibits, featuring 650 cars and numerous auto accessories, take up 500,000 square feet--an area larger than eight football fields.
People seriously shopping for a new car “can use the show sort of as a library,” says Andy Fuzesi, show general manager. “I always advise them to bring a note pad so they’re not trying to put all the facts to memory.”
It’s smart to bring your camera as well. “A picture might show you something about the car you didn’t see in person and will help you remember which car is which,” suggests Alan Rueff, dealer association president.
Fuzesi adds that consumers should consider what the purpose of the car will be: “Is it mostly for freeway driving or city driving? People should have an open mind when they come. They might see makes they wouldn’t necessarily have thought about. Then, their goal should be to narrow down their choices to three or four different cars they’re really interested in.”
Los Angeles has one of the few auto shows where consumers are permitted to get in and inspect cars on display.
“Everyone should sit in the driver’s seat to check if the seat belt fits properly,” says Garrett. “The radio and ashtray location should be checked to make sure they are reachable without taking their eyes off the road.
“Or many times a dashboard could be recessed and the instruments hard to read for a short or even a tall person.
“All engineers base their decisions on an average-height male or female,” he explains. “If you don’t fit those specifications, make sure that the make and model selected can be custom-fitted to your particular needs.”
He also advises consumers to weigh home parking considerations when choosing a new car: “The car might be garaged or parked outside most of the time. If it is exposed to too much sunlight, some colors like maroon and dark blue can fade.”
If you plan to attend the show with a group of friends or relatives, make sure to have a prearranged meeting site if separated. Says Fuzesi: “There’s no paging system--you couldn’t hear anything if we had one.”
As the nation’s first major car show of the year, the local event will feature everything from sedans and sports cars to vans, wagons, trucks, sport utility vehicles and “concept” cars such as the Buick Bolero, Sterling MG EX-E III, Pontiac Sunfire, Chrysler Voyager III, Eagle Optima, Ford Surf and its oddly named ShocccWave.
Several manufacturers will show “environment-friendly” autos that use electricity or alternate fuels, including the Volkswagen City-STROMer electric car, Ford Flexible-Fuel car and Toyota Advanced Concept car.
Cars that classify as stars of the automobile world also will be on hand: the 200-m.p.h. F 40 Ferrari, the Callaway Twin Turbo Speedster, the Rolls Royce 1907 Silver Ghost and the Maserati Shamal.
In all, 13 manufacturers--American, Japanese and Italian--will debut new models.
“Because of the trend-setting reputation of Southern California and the number of cars sold here, manufacturers place a lot of importance on making a good impression at the show,” says Rueff.
“Not only is it the first major show of the year, but how consumers in this market react to the new products can have a big effect on their ultimate success. A smart car buyer can use the auto show to his advantage.”
Sales representatives cannot take a deposit on a car or make a transaction on the floor of the show, according to Fuzesi.
“But there’s no reason they can’t get a business card from the sales representative there,” he adds.
“Then when they’re ready to go to the dealership, they’ve got someone to contact. They can call ahead and make an appointment. They might want to do that anyway, to make sure the dealer has the color or particular model they want.”
He says consumers who get the most out of the show are those “in the beginning of the process. They’re thinking about getting a new car, but not ready to go to the dealer yet. They come here and they can see every car there is. That’s better for the consumers, and better for the dealers, too, because it makes smarter consumers.”
1991 GREATER LOS ANGELES AUTO SHOW * Dates: Jan. 5-13
* Place: Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa St.
* Hours: Monday-Friday, noon to 11 p.m.
Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Sundays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
* Admission: Adults, $5; Children 12 and under admitted free when accompanied by an adult.
* Parking: $5 at the Convention Center or at additional off-site lots three blocks east, adjacent to the Transamerica building at Grand Avenue and 12th Street. On Thursday, Friday, Saturdays and Sundays during show hours, free shuttle buses will run approximately every five minutes between off-site parking facilities and the center.
* Child Care Center: On weekends, a staff of state-registered child care professionals will supervise children ages 2-10 for up to two hours while their parents attend the show. Free.
* For additional recorded information: (213) 748-8531.
