2004 Detroit Auto Show
Once again, the Detroit auto show proved why it's one of the premiere events on the international auto show circuit as no less than 50 cars and trucks made their North American or world debuts. Unlike years past, the domestics were big on cars while the imports showed off several new trucks and SUVs. Plenty of futuristic concepts also crammed the show floor, assuring plenty to talk about at this year's event.
When it came to concepts, the Chrysler ME Four-Twelve and Ford Cobra may have grabbed all the headlines, but Hyundai's HCD-8 coupe and Jeep's Rescue SUV also generated their fair share of show floor chatter. Honda's SUT was another newsmaker along with the sleek Lincoln Aviator and sporty Mitsubishi Eclipse Concept-E . Some of them may have been closer to production than others, but each provided its own unique take on the future of automotive design.
As interesting as the concept cars may have been, seeing the metal that's headed to the showrooms provided an equally entertaining show. There was plenty of big news from the Big Three this year, as well as several key introductions from the foreign competition. In addition to an all-new Corvette, GM showed off the sleek Pontiac G6 sedan and Solstice roadster, while Ford revealed an interesting trio of new cars as well with its Mustang, Five Hundred and Freestyle vehicles. Chrysler showed production versions of its bold new 300 sedan and Magnum wagon along with revised minivans and a new Crossfire roadster.
On the import side, Toyota showed off its next two hybrid vehicles - the Highlander and RX 400h - while Nissan had three big unveilings with its new Frontier, Pathfinder and Infiniti QX56. From Europe came the Audi A8 6.0, BMW 645Ci, Volvo V50 wagon and, for the first time in Detroit, an all-new Ferrari in the form of the 612 Scaglietti. And that was just the beginning.
