Not your father's auto show

摘要

The vehicles were big, powerful and hold. Will they sell during a war? Auto sales in the U.S. topped 17.1 million units last year, and the industry has completed its best four-year sales period in history. Glistening displays were in vogue at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit last month. Pyrotechnics and rock music accompanied bubbling executives who where touting the latest and future models. But beneath the surface, auto companies from across the globe are battling ferociously for the slightest gains in market share. The Big 3-General Motors, Ford and DaimlerChrysler-are particularly under pressure to stop the bleeding that continues year after year. The Big 3's market share-excluding their Volvo, Land Rover and Jaguar nameplates - fell to 61.3 percent last year from 63.1 percent in 2001. This year looks like "an-other fairly soft year in market share" for the Big 3, says Mike Wall, director of forecasting with automotive consultant IRN Inc., Grand Rapids, Michigan.