The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Auto Show returns to the I-X Center
There’s always the “wow factor” at the Cleveland Auto Show.
Wow, look at that Batmobile made out of 345,000 Lego pieces in the Chevrolet floor display.
Wow, look at the cool, yellow Mustang convertible in the Ford floor display priced at just a hair below $50,000
Wow, look at the hundreds of vehicles of all types, models, sizes, shapes and colors glowing under the lights at the I-X Center in the floor displays of 21 domestic and foreign manufacturers.
Wow, look at Independence resident Dave Zuber’s 1965 Chevy El Camino in the front of Classic Car Competition display area in the South exhibition hall.
Zuber, a retired auto mechanic and longtime classic car enthusiast, parted with $55,000 to purchase the bright-red beauty last October at an auction in Indiana.
Standing next to the 900-horsepower Chevy V-8 engine and Ohio vanity license plate stamped PRO FAST, Zuber said he’ll sink “at least another $25,000” into the vehicle in months to come.
Wow, look at all those super-luxury vehicles in the Bernie Moreno Companies Millionaires Row display, some of them bearing price tags in the high six figures.
Hey, an auto show-goer can dream, can’t he or she?
Wow, look at all the really nice vehicles on the display floor in the $15,000 to $35,000 price range most people regard as being in their financial realm.
Beyond the eye candy and stuff of dreams that always are the calling cards of this event, what jumps out at anyone walking the floor of the 2017 Cleveland Auto Show is the emphasis being placed by all the manufacturers on safety devices that now are standard equipment or available as options.
From back-up and blindspot cameras to lane-assist alerts, intelligent cruise control and software that allows parents to monitor the driving habits of the teen-agers using family vehicles, prospective buyers have new factors to weigh as they make purchase decisions.
“People are learning about these new safety tools and asking about them on the sales floor,” said Katie Amann, a Chevrolet communications specialist, as the show opened on Feb. 24.
Prominently placed in the Nissan display area is a large sign touting its Intelligent Safety Shield Technologies.
In the Volkswagen display area, show patrons can watch a presentation about the German company’s VW Driver Assistance Program.
There is some fine print accompanying the video presentation that bears reading: “The features discussed here are designed
to help mitigate the effects of certain collisions and in no way are substitutes for attentive driving.”
Other popular features of the Cleveland Auto Show include ride-and-drive areas and personal appearances by Cleveland professional sports notables. To confirm those appearances and their times, go to www.clevelandautoshow.com.