LA Auto Show Shifts Gears, Moves Into The Slow Lane
Luxury Brands Must Be On Vacation Because They’re Not At The LA Convention Center
The LA Auto Show still suffers from its pandemic hangover: half of all brands are skipping this year’s show.
By BT Justice
Sat, Nov 23, 2024 01:52 PM PST
Featured Photo: Mercedes, BMW, Lexus and the rest of the lux gang are nowhere to be found. It feels un-LA. A Bronco on Ford’s indoor ride and drive event at the LA Auto Show inside the LA Convention Center (photo: R. Nakano).
Brands displaying
1. Acura
2. Alfa Romeo
3. Buick
4. Cadillac
5. Chevrolet
6. Chrysler
7. Dodge
8. Fiat
9. Ford
10. Genesis
11. GMC
12. Honda
13. Hyundai
14. Ineos
15. Jeep
16. Kia
17. Nilu
18. Nissan
19. Ram
20. Subaru
21. Tesla
22. Toyota
23. VinFast
24. Volkswagen
25. Volvo
Brands not displaying
1. Aston Martin
2. Audi
3. Bentley
4. BMW
5. Ferrari
6. Infiniti
7. Jaguar
8. Karma
9. Lamborghini
10. Land Rover
11. Lexus
12. Lincoln
13. Lotus
14. Lucid
15. Maserati
16. Mazda
17. McLaren
18. Mercedes-Benz
19. Mini
20. Mitsubishi
21. Polestar
22. Porsche
23. Rivian
24. Rolls-Royce
Notable about the no-shows: they’re mostly luxury brands. The only luxury marques you’ll find at the LA Auto Show are Alfa Romeo, Cadillac and Genesis.
We wonder if the lack of participation of the upmarket brands carries a message, such as affluent shoppers don’t visit the auto show. Or luxury manufactures feel there are better ways than the auto show to appeal to their target buyers.
Without those brands, the show lacks some glitz and glam of the past.
The lack of luxury vehicles makes me wonder:
What’s the meaning of luxury brands not displaying?
Is 90210 unaware the auto show is going on?
Will luxury brands return for the 2025 show?
Does the lack of luxury brands this year point to fewer mainstream brands next year?
If an auto show falls in LA and the well-heeled are not around to see it, does it make a sound?
Footnotes
Nilu is displaying the Nilu27, a 1,070-horsepower hypercar going for $3 million. It’s featured in the South Hall Atrium through November 24th.
Rivian and Polestar are taking part in the outdoor ride-and-drive, but you won’t find them in the convention center.
Porsche is not displaying officially, but Porsche Downtown LA is showing vehicles in a room at the edge of the West Hall. Well done for a dealer effort.
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."
