The Orange County International Auto Show, the first of the 70 auto shows in North America’s fall-to-spring season, will feature several hot-off-the-production-line vehicles.
BMW will debut its first electric model, the i3, and General Motors Co. will reintroduce Cadillac ELR, its foray into the luxury plug-in hybrid market, set to go into production by year-end. The eco-friendly models will be on display with more than 500 new vehicles by 35 manufacturers.
The event, put on by the Orange County Automobile Dealers Association, will take place Oct. 3-6 at the Anaheim Convention Center. The association said it hopes to increase this year’s attendance by “double digits” and build on the 18% increase it posted last year.
The nonprofit declined to disclose the number of visitors, but according to the Business Journal’s estimates, the show typically attracts nearly 500,000 people. By comparison, the Los Angeles Auto Show had more than 900,000 visitors last year, while its East Coast counterpart, the New York International Auto Show, topped the 1 million mark.
Selling the Show
“The show is one collective marketing effort for … (Orange County’s) $9 billion (auto sale) industry,” said John Sackrison, the association’s executive director. “Our goal is for consumers to enjoy the show and fall in love with the cars.”
The association is spending about $1 million to market the event. It hired Adstrategies Inc. in Easton, Md., to produce 15- and 30-second TV spots, as well as radio and digital components of the advertising campaign. The agency will also handle media placements for news shows on Los Angeles-based TV networks that will “trickle down” to local cable TV programs, as well as buys on its digital channels, such as Pandora, an online music service, and cars.com, a car-shopping website.
Harrisburg, Pa.-based Motor Trend Auto Shows LLC, one of the nation’s largest auto show production companies, will handle the auto show’s logistics.
All Things Auto
Attendees will have a chance to compare the new models, inspect engines, play with new technology, kick tires, check trunk space and count cup holders, perhaps surprisingly one of the most-frequently inspected features in vehicles at the show, according to the association.
Consumers will also be able to test drive more than 100 vehicles, including new models by Kia Motors America Inc., Mazda Motor North American Operations, Toyota Motor Corp. and several other companies.
Camp Jeep Anaheim, “an interactive adventure zone,” will feature professional drivers taking passengers on rides that showcase the Jeep’s off-road traction capabilities on an 18-foot-tall “Jeep Mountain.”
Visitors will also have a chance to win a ride in a Lamborghini Gallardo by texting a special code to the auto dealers association, which will choose four winners each hour.
“We had it last year, as well, and people loved it,” Sackrison said.
The show will include a “Best of the Best” display featuring the top classic cars in Orange County, and “Hot Rod Experience,” showcasing 30 vehicles that graced the cover of Hot Rod Magazine during the past 65 years.
The duPont REGISTRY, a classified advertising publication specializing in luxury automobiles, real estate and yachts, will have its “Super Exotic Display,” a collection of high-end, unique vehicles, such as the multimillion-dollar Bugatti Veyron.
DUB Magazine will display several “tricked-out” vehicles owned by various celebrities, while sports fans can check out the Chevrolet SSR Tailgater, a pickup truck equipped with a stainless-steel propane barbeque, refrigerator, satellite TV receiver, 32-inch LCD television by Irvine-based Vizio Inc. and four 10-inch Eclipse subwoofers.
And music fans can check out the 2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo DJ V2 REMIX Lab Chrome, which has a full DJ deck setup installed in the trunk.
Show Particulars
Showroom space covers roughly 10 football fields, of which 5,000 square feet will be devoted to the SHIFTR Automotive and Lifestyle Expo, which will focus on aftermarket exotics, drift cars, lowriders and high-performance tuner cars.
Tickets for the auto show range from $10 to $12 and include a free one-year subscription to Motor Trend Magazine, published by Source Interlink Media Inc. of El Segundo. Children 12 and younger will be admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult.
The auto dealers association will also give public and private schools an opportunity to sell tickets to the show and retain 100% of the proceeds to support their music, arts and sports programs. The fundraising effort helped students collect $50,000 last year. Ticket proceeds can be donated to a school of choice at www.ocstudentfundraising.com.
“There is no cap on how much they can sell,” Sackrison said. “This is our third year of doing it. When people hear about it, as soon as we pass the ‘it’s too good to be true’ point, we’re good to go.”
