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Roads Lead West to 2001 L.A. Auto Show

6 June 2000

Roads Lead West to 2001 L.A. Auto Show

                        
    LOS ANGELES - The concentration of automobile corporate headquarters, design
studios and aftermarket companies, along with the trendsetting image-makers of 
Hollywood, are inarguably fueling Southern California's evolution into a world 
automotive center.
 
   Automakers will capitalize on this movement by introducing a number of
production and concept vehicles to journalists attending Media Days, January 4
and 5, at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show.
 
   The L.A. Auto Show is paralleling the region's growth, having established
new records last January for public and Media Days attendance, number of
debuts and news coverage.  More than 75 million newspaper readers nationwide
were informed of the 35 debuts, and millions more watched the 450-plus
television news segments that originated from the show.  In fact, television
coverage has more than tripled in the last three years, with a majority coming
from stations outside of California.
 
   A recurring news theme was how Southern California has become the hotbed
and ground zero of automotive trends and designs.  This is greatly influenced
by Southern Californians broad demographic diversity and willingness to
embrace new ideas, which has firmly established the region as a microcosm of
the nation and world.
 
   General Motors and Ford continue to spark the region's development by
elevating their corporate presence.  The opening of a design studio in North
Hollywood allows GM to bring a West Coast perspective to its designs and
further punctuates the region's global influence.
 
   Ford, meanwhile, is moving the U.S. headquarters of Jaguar, Volvo, Aston
Martin and, most recently, its TH!NK Group electric vehicle enterprise to
Southern California.  The world's two largest automakers offered similar
reasons for their moves, citing a desire to be immersed in where trends
originate and to gain a better understanding of future transportation needs.
 
   Following Ford Premier Automotive Group's move west, the automotive
landscape will be home to 18 import and domestic brands' world or U.S.
headquarters, in addition to more than 20 manufacturer and independent design
studios, the renown Art Center College of Design, prototype builders,
consulting firms and hundreds of aftermarket companies.