Auto Show Closes Last Run in Stadium Parking Lot Tents

While young Ryan Wade’s attention was caught by the Mazda van his folks were eyeing, the40,000 or so people who visited the Orange County International Auto Show over the long weekend had a lot more from which to choose.

There was, for instance, considerable “oohing” and “aahing” over the $132,000 Mercedes-Benz 600 SEC, the most expensive car on display.

Other crowd pleasers included a $63,000 civilian version of the military Humvee personnel carrier, Dodge’s $55,000 Viper sports car, and the 1994 prototype of Audi’s first-ever convertible--which had its North American unveiling Saturday beneath the white plastic roof of one of three temporary buildings housing the show in the parking lot of Anaheim Stadium.

In all, some 450 trucks and cars by 35 manufacturers are on display at the show, which closed Sunday evening. Organizers said they expected to match last year’s attendance of 201,000.

“Exhibitors are reporting more buyer interest this year than in either of the last two years,” said show spokesman Barry Greenberg.

This year marks the end of the auto show’s eight-year run at the stadium. After nearly a year of negotiating, the Orange County Motor Car Dealers Assn. has signed an agreement with the Anaheim Convention Center to bring the show under its permanent roof for six days in November.

The change of locale, said Show Manager Bill Schultz, will nearly double the amount of space for exhibits--to 300,000 square feet from the 180,000 square feet at the stadium.

It also will make the Orange County show one of the earliest on the North American auto show circuit, with the Nov. 23-28 run this year coinciding with the Long Beach and San Francisco shows but beating the much larger Los Angeles International Auto Show by nearly two months.