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Glimpsing The Best Wheels In Town
The Philadelphia International Auto Show
By Sally Friedman, For The Bulletin
Let’s face it — there’s gloom out there. This country, usually confident, is facing tremendous challenges, from a reeling economy and high unemployment to two wars and an ailing educational and medical care system.
Is there still any reason to be interested in new cars?
Rest assured that while the economy has diminished our national lust for automobiles, there is still sufficient interest in the industry — what’s ahead, what the next generation of cars will look like, what innovations and ideas are out there despite the gloom and doom.
The vast Philadelphia International Auto Show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center opens with a gala on Friday night with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as its beneficiary. The organization has provided $3.8 million to CHOP over the last two decades.
The show opens to the public on Saturday and runs through Feb. 8.
“2008 was a tough year for manufacturers and dealers, both foreign and domestic,” said Kevin Mazzucola, executive director of the Automobile Dealers of Greater Philadelphia. “But the good news is that competition breeds innovation, and manufacturers are working harder than ever to put vehicles on the road that will meet consumer demand.”
You can be sure that this year, the show will feature new technologies and alternative fuel possibilities from major manufacturers. Diesel-fueled examples include Volkswagen Jetta TDI and Chevrolet’s Hydrogen-fueled Equinox. Hybrid technology, also on display this year, will offer glimpses of the Ford Fusion, Chevrolet Malibu, Cadillac Esplanade, Chrysler Aspen and Toyota Camry, among many others.
While looking ahead, the annual car show also provides visitors with a look backward in town. One of its most popular attractions will be the Vintage Display, with antique models showcased. Available for nostalgia will be a 1926 Wills St. Clair roadster, a 1957 Oldsmobile convertible (this time it is “your father’s,” as the commercial goes) and even a 1960 Thunderbird convertible.
Also available for gaping will be a display of truly exotic cars, courtesy of F.C. Kerbeck & Sons. Just in case you’re unaffected by market conditions, you can survey a 2009 Rolls Royce Phantom Convertible for possible acquisition, along with a 2009 Maserati Gran Turismo.
For the first time, specimens from the collection of the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia will be displayed. Those seeking the most unusual and exotic can eyeball a 1956 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing, and a 1966 Ferrari 365P Speciale, all owned by a local physician who is a passionate car collector.
Preproduction and concept cars from Volvo, Ford and Chevrolet, among others, will also be part of a crowd-pleasing exhibition, promoters said. Also high on the gaping quotient will be the hottest modified celebrity vehicles, those highly customized cars with every imaginable bell and whistle, presented in a 20,000 square-foot display area.
There’s actually a serious purpose to all this display of automobiles, according to Joe Magarity, chairman of the 2009 show and president of Magarity Chevrolet.
“The automotive industry is changing before our eyes,” he said. “As a result, the 2009 season is experiencing some of the best vehicle releases to date, so it’s all about product this year.”
It’s also about midwinter family fun, with children welcome at all times to the show, and a special Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation Day on Feb. 8, when children 12 and under will be admitted free, and special kid-friendly activities will be offered.
Celebrity visits are also scheduled throughout the run of the show, with appearances by NBA shooting guard Andre Iguodala, from 6 to 7 p.m.,on Feb. 4; and DeSean Jackson of the Philadelphia Eagles from 6 to 8 p.m, Feb. 5.
Sally Friedman can be reached at pinegander@thebulletin.us
Is there still any reason to be interested in new cars?
Rest assured that while the economy has diminished our national lust for automobiles, there is still sufficient interest in the industry — what’s ahead, what the next generation of cars will look like, what innovations and ideas are out there despite the gloom and doom.
The vast Philadelphia International Auto Show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center opens with a gala on Friday night with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as its beneficiary. The organization has provided $3.8 million to CHOP over the last two decades.
The show opens to the public on Saturday and runs through Feb. 8.
“2008 was a tough year for manufacturers and dealers, both foreign and domestic,” said Kevin Mazzucola, executive director of the Automobile Dealers of Greater Philadelphia. “But the good news is that competition breeds innovation, and manufacturers are working harder than ever to put vehicles on the road that will meet consumer demand.”
You can be sure that this year, the show will feature new technologies and alternative fuel possibilities from major manufacturers. Diesel-fueled examples include Volkswagen Jetta TDI and Chevrolet’s Hydrogen-fueled Equinox. Hybrid technology, also on display this year, will offer glimpses of the Ford Fusion, Chevrolet Malibu, Cadillac Esplanade, Chrysler Aspen and Toyota Camry, among many others.
While looking ahead, the annual car show also provides visitors with a look backward in town. One of its most popular attractions will be the Vintage Display, with antique models showcased. Available for nostalgia will be a 1926 Wills St. Clair roadster, a 1957 Oldsmobile convertible (this time it is “your father’s,” as the commercial goes) and even a 1960 Thunderbird convertible.
Also available for gaping will be a display of truly exotic cars, courtesy of F.C. Kerbeck & Sons. Just in case you’re unaffected by market conditions, you can survey a 2009 Rolls Royce Phantom Convertible for possible acquisition, along with a 2009 Maserati Gran Turismo.
For the first time, specimens from the collection of the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia will be displayed. Those seeking the most unusual and exotic can eyeball a 1956 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing, and a 1966 Ferrari 365P Speciale, all owned by a local physician who is a passionate car collector.
Preproduction and concept cars from Volvo, Ford and Chevrolet, among others, will also be part of a crowd-pleasing exhibition, promoters said. Also high on the gaping quotient will be the hottest modified celebrity vehicles, those highly customized cars with every imaginable bell and whistle, presented in a 20,000 square-foot display area.
There’s actually a serious purpose to all this display of automobiles, according to Joe Magarity, chairman of the 2009 show and president of Magarity Chevrolet.
“The automotive industry is changing before our eyes,” he said. “As a result, the 2009 season is experiencing some of the best vehicle releases to date, so it’s all about product this year.”
It’s also about midwinter family fun, with children welcome at all times to the show, and a special Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation Day on Feb. 8, when children 12 and under will be admitted free, and special kid-friendly activities will be offered.
Celebrity visits are also scheduled throughout the run of the show, with appearances by NBA shooting guard Andre Iguodala, from 6 to 7 p.m.,on Feb. 4; and DeSean Jackson of the Philadelphia Eagles from 6 to 8 p.m, Feb. 5.
Sally Friedman can be reached at pinegander@thebulletin.us
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