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New Cars Debut At South Florida International Auto Show SOUTH FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW LOGO Logo for South Florida International Auto Show. (PRNewsFoto)[PM] MIAMI, FL USA 09/25/2000    

6 October 2000

New Cars Debut At South Florida International Auto Show SOUTH FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW LOGO Logo for South Florida International Auto Show. (PRNewsFoto)[PM] MIAMI, FL USA 09/25/2000    

    MIAMI BEACH, Fla., Oct. 6 A world-wide debut and other
industry firsts marked opening day for the first major auto show of the
season.
    (NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000925/FLTH099LOGO)
    Automotive journalists from around the hemisphere gathered in Miami Beach
Friday at the South Florida International Auto Show, the nation's fourth
largest. The 10-day event fills one million square feet of the Miami Beach
Convention Center with 1,000 vehicles from 40 manufacturers.
    Activities on opening day of the 30th annual South Florida exhibit
included:
    *  General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner and Saturn President Cynthia Trudell
presided over the world-wide premier of Saturn's first sport utility vehicle
(SUV), as yet unnamed. Orange and lime versions of the new model were
spotlighted here. The compact SUV will go on sale late next year.
    *  Byung Mo Ahn, president of Kia Motors America, hosted the U.S. debut of
Kia's new Optima mid-sized sedan.
    *  Ford's reborn Thunderbird and its all-new 2002 Explorer made their
first appearance at an auto show.
    *  Other debuts included Chrysler's new Sebring convertible, Volvo's new
S60 sports sedan, the Hyundai Elantra sedan, and sport versions of Daewoo's
Nubira concept vehicle and the Lanos coupe. Conventional media were augmented
by global coverage on the Internet provided by The Auto Channel.
    Richard Colliver, executive vice president of both Honda and Acura and
guest speaker for the gathered media, addressed the Internet's impact on such
traditional dealer activities as sales and financing. "The industry needs to
continue adapting and embrace the Internet," said Colliver. "We are linking
dealers with each other and with customers through our Honda Interactive
Network."
    According to show chairman Phil Smith, the South Florida International
Auto Show attracts both domestic and international journalists because it is
produced in America's gateway to Latin America. "Our show is a must-see event
for reporters, auto enthusiasts and buyers from Latin America and the
Caribbean." Smith expects more than 600,000 guests to visit this year's show.
    The South Florida International Auto Show is produced by the South Florida
Auto-Truck Dealers Association, which comprises more than 220 dealers in four
counties. The show's web site is http://www.sfliautoshow.com.