Upbeat Detroit Motor Show

Rarely was a discouraging opinion heard at this year’s Detroit Motor Show, with every major global brand generating solid profits and a positive forecast for 2013. Maybe not a widely agreed opinion, but I ‘kind of’ like Detroit. Apparently, the days of doom and gloom are over, and at least on the surface everything is perfect at our beloved Motown.

While the new Corvette dominated the headlines, there was more than two dozen new concepts and production vehicles unwrapped, most to good reviews. Yet away from the glamour and lustre executive performances, not every new model stood up to close scrutiny.

The show really kicked off fittingly with the unveil of the latest version of an American icon, the seventh generation Chevrolet Corvette. Ford was keeping a pretty low profile with the Blue Oval brand leaving its traditional big press conference in the Joe Louis Arena next door until the second press day. Even then, I am certain the big focus was all about commercial vehicles, strange but true.

The talk was generally about rebuilding sales volumes and relief that the US didn’t fall off the fiscal cliff. Eyes were warily caste across the Atlantic however and at the dark economic clouds hanging over Europe. Time now to start preparing for another battle closer to home – the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.