“This is a new day; today is a new day. Today is a new beginning really for the automobile industry,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood at the opening of the American International Auto Show in Detroit, according to the New York Times.
And this isn’t just hyperbole from the government who sank billions into saving the American auto industry.
According to Marketplace, there is an air of (cautious) optimism at this year’s car show. One big reason for hope: There’s a strong turnout at the show. Sixty-one automakers showed up this year as opposed to just 51 last year.
What’s more, there is an entire section called “Electric Avenue,” underscoring the way in which Detroit’s Big Three (Ford, General Motors and Chrysler) have retooled to reflect the growing demand for more fuel-efficient and greener vehicles.
But one of the most surprising — and heartening — outcomes of the show was the winner of Truck of the Year (which we told you about yesterday) and Car of the Year: both from Ford. Car of the Year was the Fusion, a hybrid sedan. Truck of the Year was the Transit Connect. The wins are a signal that the Big Three strategy overhaul may well bear fruit.
“The automobile industry is manufacturing products that people want to drive,” LaHood said in the Times. “As this industry comes back, the economy will come back.”
Certainly the recovery of the auto industry is important for the recovery of the American economy as a whole. Even more, it will bring confidence back to an iconic American industry — and an iconic American workforce.
Photo courtesy Mike Babcock via Flickr.