For those of you living in or near Detroit, or who are otherwise planning to go to the Detroit Show in January, here's some of the advance info...I'm posting it as a courtesy. As usual, I'll be at the Washington, D.C. show, probably for more than one day....it usually starts a week or so after the Detroit show ends.

I don't know if you can do this in the Detroit area for their show, but in the Washington, D.C. area, you can get free or discounted show-passes for the D.C. show by stopping at any local new-car dealer (doesn't matter what brand) and just asking for them. They will usually give you a reasonable number when the passes arrive (usually a week or so before the show). That's because the D.C. show is sponsored by WANADA, which represents all the local dealerships.....and, of course, they WANT you to go to the show and see their vehicles. I usually get at least a dozen free passes or so (since I know so many salespeople)....I use 3 or 4 of them myself and save the rest for my friends, those I'm car-shopping with, and those who want to go to the show for various reasons. But, of course, I can't get them for everyone

http://www.naias.com/the-2012-show/public-show.aspx

http://www.naias.com/

http://www.naias.com/the-2012-show/overview.aspx

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1...verage-preview

http://www.mlive.com/naias/index.ssf...w_will_ab.html


And here's some advance information on the Washington, D.C. show. As I stated, I'll be there myself, but I'm not sure which days yet.

http://www.washingtonautoshow.com/public/show-info

http://www.washingtonautoshow.com/

http://dc.about.com/od/specialevents/a/WashAutoShow.htm

 

Just an aside comment, but, like I've said before, it's puzzling why the Detroit show is still the premier North American automotive show-event. Not only has Detroit vastly declined as a center of the American auto-culture (many auto corporate-HQ have moved to SoCal or elsewnere), but the city itself is in terrible shape. And, of course, both SoCal and the D.C. area far outstrip the Detroit area in new-car sales. Roughly six times as many new vehicles are sold in the D.C. area as Detroit, and ten times as much in SoCal.

I personally think that the city (and the auto-media) are just trying to keep up an old and outdated tradition in still having Detroit as the largest show, but without much to actually back it up any more.