Japanese CEOs sitting out Detroit show, scale back the glitz
by Noah Joseph on Dec 26th 2008 at 7:01PM 
Honda and
For starters, both Honda's and
[Source: The
Honda and
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
FSM 7:11PM (12/26/2008)
Just another reminder to us how full of excess some american companies can be when compared to their asian counterparts. I think the frugality shown here should be mimicked by every company receiving tax payer dollars, auto and banking.
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Sid 7:16PM (12/26/2008)
I think they just wanna not be there for the cameras who will be doing news segments about how evil car-companies are still having car shows in such an economy.
"Coming up at 11, see how General Motors and Ford are having lavish shows while even Toyota and Honda have made a decision to refocus their efforts on cutting back and saving!"
Nobody tops the Japanese when it comes to image management.
Mike 11:05PM (12/26/2008)
So Wagoner shouldn't walk the two blocks from the Ren Cen to Cobo, and Nardelli and Mullaly shouldn't take the 20 minute and 8 minute, respectively, drive from their HQs because the Japanese aren't flying from Japan?
In what world are you making any sense?
happy_penguin 11:09PM (12/26/2008)
There's nothing "evil" about having the shows. It is these shows which will help spark the consumerism which will sell the vehicles which will save the corporations which keeps people employed which gives people money to spend which will turn the economy around...
tankd0g 12:51AM (12/27/2008)
All 3 US auto execs are probably flying back from christmas in Bermuda for this so don't kid yourself.
KT 7:27PM (12/26/2008)
They are starting to see the red ink and it's scaring them. It's been a long time since their bottom lines have been printed in red.
I don't think you will "lavish" anything this year. Ford is probably one of only a few that are unveiling a "new" vehicle, that is if the '10 Taurus and Lincoln MKT are debuted.
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Jonathan 9:13PM (12/26/2008)
I disagree that there won't be many new vehicle introductions- many companies will debut new vehicles. With the economic downturn companies will slow development of future vehicles, but the cars that debut in Detroit had much of their development completed months ago.
That said, I agree no new glamorous vehicles will debut in Detroit.. Partially because of the economy, but mostly because New York and Chicago are the venues of choice for most luxury debuts.
adelossa 7:34PM (12/26/2008)
So, only Mazda will be at the DAS? I hope its the new Mazda3 hatch/speed
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elprogramer 7:39PM (12/26/2008)
North American International Auto Show!
Much as Los Angeles and Chicago would have you believe, we're still the premier showing in North America and you would do well it call it by it's proper name.
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happy_penguin 11:12PM (12/26/2008)
Hear, hear, elprogamer. See you at the show!
homunculus 7:43PM (12/26/2008)
remember just a little while ago gm was having those ridiculous celebrity fashion shows?
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JDMlover 7:47PM (12/26/2008)
GOD I HATE THESE TIMES....everything is just effed up....
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Sea Urchin 10:03PM (12/26/2008)
Interesting, how come Autoblog does not cover the post Watanabe saga. He will step down in March and there are 3 or 4 candidates to replace him.
All of them have brain cells, unlike some CEOs.
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Temple 10:18PM (12/26/2008)
This is how everybody should do it every year.
In this day and age of the internet, a press release with pictures posted on Autoblog does a hell of lot more in distributing the product to the mindset of the public then throwing a million dollar party. The money that can be used to put on fancy shows and fly CEOs in can instead by used for traditional advertising that can get the word out on the product better.
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Mike 11:20PM (12/26/2008)
I think we're all kidding ourselves if we think that anyone is going to spend even close to what they usually do on any auto shows next year. I just don't see the larger companies pulling out of any shows.
NAIS, Chicago, NY, and LA all are huge shows with huge attendance and press coverage. The displays are used for each show, and in fact, some of them are carried over year to year as it is. I think the parties and other extravegances will be gone for all companies in '09 but they're not all going to pull out of the shows like some of the smaller companies have.
Not having the CEOs in attendance really means next to nothing. They aren't needed and I wouldn't expect the foreigners to fly over for any of the American shows any more than I see the domestic CEOs flying to Europe or Australia for theirs next year.
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Kiiks 5:14AM (12/27/2008)
"Out of deference to the difficulties faced by their rivals in Detroit."
There's probably a good deal of truth to that. The Japanese are polite to a fault, as respect is ingrained into their culture. It's nice to see it show even in the cut-throat world of business.
That's not to disagree with what others have been saying about expenditures and the bottom line, but it's not just that. After all Honda and Toyota both know very well that they didn't invent the automobile and they didn't create the auto industry. Detroit is where it all started and even as fierce rivals, they dare not spit in the faces of the Big 3 for without them, there would have been no industry.
I sure hope they all make it out of this as leaner machines so they can all get back to competing for our dollars with better products and newer technologies at full-throttle, inevitably improving the breed for automobiles, cuz when I get a real job, I want a flying car, dammit.
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ronnie schreiber 10:09PM (12/27/2008)
There are 6000 reporters at the NAIAS, Watanabe-san didn't want to be deluged with questions about Toyota losing money for the first time in 70 years.
Also, I find it hard to believe Toyota, which is introducing the next gen Prius won't be having some kind of press event.
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