Curiousity about a single car, the prototype “runabout,” presented by Ransom Eli Olds, attracted 10,000 paying customers in 1900 at the first automotive show. It was held in Madison Square Garden in New York, the iconic indoor arena in downtown Manhattan. Attendees paid 50 cents.
Before the Los Angeles and Detroit shows arrived seven years later, Olds Motor Vehicle Company of Lansing, Mich., built 425 Oldsmobiles, making it the nation’s first automaker to produce cars in volume.
Despite interruptions by wars and disease, the auto show tradition grew. Manufacturers began showcasing vehicles directly to consumers, a stress-free alternative to the once more prominent aggressive salesmanship at dealerships.
The first LA Auto Show featured 99 vehicles on an ice-skating rink. It grew, organizers tout, to more than 1,000 cars and trucks and industry displays. But at the recently concluded edition, which ended its 10-day run Nov. 30, the legacy of auto shows appeared further diminished.
COVID-19’s lingering effects and the 2023 United Auto Workers strike impacted many industries, including automotive. The LA Auto Show was cancelled in 2020 and rescheduled twice.
The show finally returned in November 2021, bringing renewed enthusiasm. Since then, budget cuts have led several mainstay manufacturers to miss subsequent shows.
This year, the Los Angeles Convention Center halls, once lively with rotating platforms and expansive lineups, looked and felt underwhelming.
Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz did not attend. Porsche, once in its own small hall, occupied a smaller open space with fewer vehicles. Indoor driving tracks filled-in areas once occupied by carmakers’ full lineups.
General Motors placed Buick, Cadillac, and GMC pickup trucks from a local dealership in a poorly planned, poorly lit corner near the main entrance.
Automotive spokesperson-ambassadors, known as the Sirens of Chrome, were also mostly absent. While the tradition, especially notable in the entertainment-focused Los Angeles area, may no longer be socially acceptable, it once helped define the show. Ironically, a series of photos of women in tight-fitting attire, posing suggestively on cars to promote an automotive computer accessory, hung in a convention center breezeway.
Model global debuts, once frequent in Los Angeles, are now infrequent. Concept vehicles, formerly key event highlights, are also less common.
Since 2016, the LA Auto Show has included AutoMobility, an industry and media event before the public show. It was reduced from two days to one, and this year’s program spotlighted niche areas such as zero-emissions and next-generation AI. Recently, many manufacturers have prioritized off-site, invite-only events.
Despite the changes, impressive vehicles remained on display, with strong showings from Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Kia and others. Subaru returned with its long-running interactive dog adoption program amid its new vehicles. Rivian, in its fifth year, showcased a stealth camper tent and a two-burner induction cooktop for its new pickups.
And then there was Honda. It debuted the Afeela, a high-tech, all-electric sedan developed by Sony Honda Mobility in Beverly Hills. The sensor-overloaded vehicle’s California-only distribution is projected for mid-2026.
But even Honda, a legacy LA Auto Show participant, had issues. With its United States headquarters in nearby Torrance, the carmaker had a full lineup on display at the convention center. Several public relations representatives also attended the reception, highlighting the Afeela. They had plenty to promote about the two-trim vehicle with a top-line MSRP of $102,900.
But a disc jockey played bass-heavy music too loudly, often muddling Honda presenters’ efforts to discuss the new vehicle’s purpose and future.
Without the overbearing music, the same question faces LA Auto Show organizers.
James Raia, a syndicated automotive columnist in Sacramento, also contributes business, lifestyle and sports content to several print and online publications. E-mail: james@jamesraia.com.