DETROIT ? This year’s North American International Auto Show, which opens its two-week run on Jan. 10, will serve as a barometer to gauge the health of the world auto industry, predicts Bill Perkins, auto show vice chairman.

And Perkins, president of the Perkins Automotive Group in Southeast Michigan, said he expects those barometric readings to rise in Southeast Michigan because of the ?buzz? created by the show. Fact in point, auto makers will take the wraps off up to 40 new cars and trucks, driving a lot of buyers into area showrooms.

?This show kick starts sales for local dealers,? Perkins said. ?The show gives everyone a feel for how the industry will go this year. If it’s a good show, and well attended, it gets everything started off on the right economic note.?

Perkins said last year some 715,000 people attended the NAIAS, a 65,000 person increase from 2009. He expects in 2011 that close to 800,000 people will attend.

The buzz begins Jan. 10, when some five thousand journalists will descend on Detroit to cover the debut of from 30 to 40 new cars and trucks, many of which are expected to include clean features ? such as electric-powered and hybrid-electric vehicles. Even long-time auto show exhibitor ? Porsche ? which took a two-year break is back in 2011.

Jan. 12-13 marks ?industry days,? when auto industry executives get a look at the new iron. That’s followed Jan. 14 with the gala charity preview, Detroit?s version of a Hollywood movie premier. The public ? the real target audience ? can get up close and personal from Jan. 15-23.

Green, clean and sustainable technologies will be a big feature of the show again this year. In the basement Michigan Hall, last year?s Eco Experience has been upgraded to the Smarter Living Display, which will give folks who buy electric-powered vehicles an idea of how they fit into their everyday living environment, Perkins said.

In the Town Square exhibit, the auto show has partnered with DTE and the Michigan Economic Development Corp. to promote green products, made in Michigan, for the home, everything from energy efficient windows to wind turbines.

?Our theme is smarter living,? Perkins said.

But in the end, the show is about selling cars. Period. Perkins expects from 13 million to 14 million light vehicles to be sold in the United States this year ? after about 12 million units in 2010 – and perhaps returning to pre-recession sales levels by 2013.

?Give us a couple of more years and we?ll be back up to 16 million units,? he said. ?The economy then will be back on solid ground.?

For more information, click on NAIAS.Com

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