The 2023 Car(pet) and Vacuum Show
The LA Auto Show never looked this empty
During the November 16 press preview, as I wandered through the auto show, I was struck by the emptiness.
By BT Justice
Thu, Nov 16, 2023 08:54 PM PST
This article is a part of
2023 Los Angeles Auto Show
Click to see the collection and all the included articles!
We love the LA Auto Show.
It’s long been a global showcase of automotive design and innovation. One of the Big Three auto shows in the U.S., along with New York and Chicago.
As you’d expect, down at the LA Convention Center you’ll see hundreds of new and interesting vehicles.
As you wouldn’t expect, you’ll also see hundreds of … square feet of carpet.
Make that thousands of square feet of carpet.
More carpet than you’ve ever seen at an auto show.
Carpet without vehicles and displays.
That’s because most automotive brands are skipping this year’s LA Auto Show.
Brands You’ll See At The Auto Show
1. Acura
2. Chevrolet
3. Ford
4. Genesis
5. Honda
6. Hyundai
7. Kia
8. Lexus
9. Lucid
10. Nissan
11. Subaru
12. Tesla
13. Toyota
14. Volkswagen
Brands You Won’t See At This Year’s LA Auto Show
1. Alfa Romeo
2. Aston Martin
3. Audi
4. Bentley
5. BMW
6. Buick
7. Cadillac
8. Chrysler
9. Dodge
10. Ferrari
11. Fiat
12. Fisker
13. GMC
14. Infiniti
15. Jaguar
16. Jeep
17. Karma
18. Lamborghini
19. Land Rover
20. Lincoln
21. Lotus
22. Maserati
23. Mazda
24. McLaren
25. Mercedes-Benz
26. Mini
27. Mitsubishi
28. Polestar
29. Porsche
30. Ram
31. Rivian
32. Rolls-Royce
33. Volvo
Notes:
Tesla is not displaying in the convention center, but it’s offering demo drives outside the West Hall main entrance (i.e., Gilbert Lindsay Plaza).
Cadillac is not participating in the auto show. However, a local Cadillac dealer – identity unknown – has five vehicles on the ground level of the South Hall, near the stairs leading up to the display floor. You’ll find the Cadillacs next to Verge electric motorcycles.
The No-Show Rate Is 70%
The remaining brands get more space than ever. So much space that Ford, Hyundai, VW and Nissan have set up indoor tracks, where you can ride at low speeds as a passenger.
During the November 16 press preview, as I wandered through the auto show, I was struck by the emptiness.
A vacuum.
I imagined a fleet of vacuum cleaners rolling across acres of carpet.
I could almost hear whirring motors and smell light dust.
The vacuum show has come to LA.
It sucks.
About The Author
BT Justice grew up in Texas, working on cars in his uncles' auto shop. In high school, he raced motorcycles. In the Army, did engine repair and rebuilds, primarily on Humvees and trucks, earning the nickname bulletproof. After a degree in mechanical engineering from General Motors Institute, he worked for each of the Big Three before heading to SoCal, where he founded an engineering company that consulted on suspension tuning for OEMs. He holds an SCCA license but says, "My competition days are over, but I'll always love racing the canyons."
