Ford, GM, Chrysler Will Not Attend 2009 Tokyo Auto Show

Ford, GM, Chrysler plan to skip Tokyo auto show, say priorities lie in US strategic plans

DETROIT January 14, 2009; Kimberly S. Johnson writing for the AP reported that Detroit's automakers said Wednesday they will not attend the Tokyo Motor Show planned for October, saying that their priorities in a down global market lie elsewhere.

Officials at Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the companies would not participate. GM officials told Automotive News, a trade publication, that it will not attend the show in an effort to cut costs.

Ford spokeswoman Jennifer Flake said the company will use other ways to make Japanese car buyers aware of its vehicles.

"In this time and in this environment, participating in the Tokyo Motor Show is not our highest strategic priority," she said.

Chrysler spokesman Rick Deneau said the company has told organizers that it will not be at the Tokyo show.

The Tokyo Motor Show, a biannual event, will still be held, a spokesman for the group sponsoring the show said. He denied reports Wednesday that a cancellation was possible.

All three U.S. automakers are displaying new vehicles and concept cars at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this month. The show is one of the largest events for U.S. automakers, all based in Michigan.

But Japanese automakers Nissan Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. are not at the Detroit show, as a global slowdown in sales has forced many companies to rethink which show they attend.

Others have found ways to cut costs at the shows. GM, for example, eliminated thousands of square feet of elevated flooring and the second story of its display area at the Detroit show.