Detroit – January 2015 – North American International Auto Show

The following Saturday found us in lovely downtown Detroit, at Cobo Hall for the 2015 North American International Auto Show. It is one of the largest Auto Shows in the world, far better than what you can see in Cleveland, Pittsburgh or Columbus.

What sets this show apart is the representation of most important domestic and international car companies, the quality and quantity of the show floor, and the collection of activities that you can participate in.

The downside is that it is in Detroit, which means that once you get to Michigan you have to drive on horrendously bumpy freeways to get downtown, where you are met with numerous vacant skyscrapers and open parking lots. The parking itself is a bit pricy, but that is because the crowd they attract, which is another drawback, the place is packed.

We got there a bit later than hoped, but still had a chance to spend an hour or two before the really large crowds arrived.

The Lincoln display was particularly nice, with a unique wall to separate it from the rest of the floor. In addition, they had partnered with a company called Shinola, that appears to be making high end, trendy watches, as well as a sponsor of bicycles.

Many of the automakers had unique displays; Chevrolet had, among other things, a cutaway Volt, virtual reality games, and a nice scarlet and grey Corvette Z06; Mercedes had one of the Petronas Mercedes F1 cars and a really unique AMG Prototype;