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DRIVE, DESIGN, DESIRE

This article is from our archives and has not been updated and integrated with our "new" site yet... Even so, it's still awesome - so keep reading!

Published on Sun, Dec 31, 2006

By: The LACar Editorial Staff

Lincoln MKR concept coupe

DRIVE, DESIGN, DESIRE The 2007 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) will take place January 7th-21st at COBO Center in Detroit. Press Preview Days will be held Sunday, January 7th through Tuesday, January 9th. Industry Preview Days will be held on Wednesday, January 10th and Thursday, January 11th. The Charity Preview will be held Friday evening, January 12th. Public Days are Saturday, January 13th, through Sunday, January 21st.

Mercedes Benz Concept Ocean Drive In addition, the NAIAS released the final 2006 show figures, which support the recognition this event has received as North America's premier automotive venue. "The North American International Auto Show proved once again that Detroit is truly the automotive capital of the world" said Richard Genthe, senior co-chairman of the NAIAS 2006. "Every year the NAIAS committee strives to bring forth a world-class, internationally renowned auto show. With 69 vehicle introductions we have once again hit our mark."

Ford Interceptor concept sedan The NAIAS 2006 attracted a large number of international media that came to see the array of new vehicles and advanced automotive technology. Among the 69 vehicle introductions was the first bound-for-America Chinese car in North America, the Geely 7151 CK. Geely attracted a delegation of key Chinese media to the NAIAS 2006, which drew wide international attention to the auto industry.

Toyota FT-HS concept hybrid sports car For the second year in a row, the NAIAS was featured in a two-hour broadcast by NBC Sports titled, "International Auto Show." The special drew a 2.0 rating/4 share that yielded seven million viewers and aired from 1-3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 22. NASCAR commentators Bill Weber, analyst Benny Parsons and reporters Allen Bestwick, Dave Burns and Marty Snider hosted the broadcast.

Nissan Rogue concept crossover vehicle "NBC Sports is honored to partner with one of the world's biggest, best, and most successful auto shows" said Jon Miller, senior vice president of Sports Programming, NBC Sports. "We look forward to working with the NAIAS in 2007 to once again bring the creativity and technology the automotive industry has to offer to millions of homes nationwide."

Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept "NBC Sports has brought a new level of excitement to the NAIAS for the past two years, providing a unique and compelling look at the show, and introducing some fantastic vehicles to millions of car enthusiasts across the country" said Bob Thibodeau, Jr., co-chairman of NAIAS 2006. "The NBC sports broadcast captured the glitz and glamour of the show that make it so special to so many people."

Volvo XC60 concept vehicle Additionally, the MSN.com Autos Web page devoted to the NAIAS 2006 received 75 million page views and served 4.3 million video downloads. NAIAS 2006 also hosted some of the world's most famous celebrities including: singer Aretha Franklin; comedian Steve Harvey; Grammy winner, Ashanti; star of 'Desperate Housewives' Eva Longoria; MTV's 'Meet the Barker's' star, Travis Barker; comedian David Spade; well known Los Angeles entertainer, DJ AM; and actress Angie Harmon, best known for her role on Law and Order.

Kia Kue concept vehicle The 2006 Industry Preview Days attracted 34,881 attendees from 2,200 companies. Of those companies, 23 countries were represented. In addition, the Charity Preview hosted 17,000 guests. Tickets for this gala affair were $400 each and resulted in $6.8 million raised for 11 local Detroit children's charities. Finally, NAIAS Public Days attracted 759,310 visitors over nine days.