Tricked-out trucks are hot at Vegas show
Aftermarket products on display at SEMA trade exhibit Tuesday
One of the nation’s top automotive trade shows will be bigger than ever when it opens Tuesday, but not necessarily because of cars.
Rather, the spotlight will be on accessories for pickups and SUVs when the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show takes shape in Las Vegas.
“Pickup trucks are back in a big way,” says Peter MacGillivray, a SEMA vice president.
Of 11 categories of aftermarket automotive products at the show, he says the biggest action is coming in trucks.
Products will include everything from camper shells to trailer hitches, fancy tool boxes and storage systems for truck beds and custom suspension or lighting.
“Pickups and SUVs are great canvases for personalization,” MacGillivray says.
It’s easy to understand the enthusiasm for the big haulers. When October sales are released Tuesday, it is again likely to show that pickup and SUV sales are handily beating those of cars.
For the first nine months of 2015, new-car sales dipped 2.1% while total truck sales rose 11.7%, Autodata reports.
Even better for the auto industry, pickups and SUVs usually are more expensive vehicles that carry higher profit margins, one of the reasons that both General Motors and Ford just reported strong third-quarter profits.
Just as they were a decade ago before gas became expensive, trucks are becoming family vehicles again. And with buyers spending lavishly on new trucks, more of them have money left over to personalize them.
The average truck buyer spends another $2,000 on accessories, says Michael Albano, a Chevy spokesman.
Chevy plans to make a splash with its truck accessories at the show, he says.
Line-X, a company that specializes in spray-in coatings to protect truck beds from dings and scratches, has been using the truck boom to expand its offerings.
It has been pushing into adding its coatings to entire vehicles for a more rugged look, not just treating the bed. It is also making a push to customize Jeeps, not just pickups.
“We are doing more business than we ever have,” says Spike Magnuson, vice president of strategic initiatives.