I still like auto shows. Sometimes they're disappointing because all the cool concepts and stuff that hasn't been leaked went to the auto show you're not covering. That said, Regular Car Reviews summed up one auto show pretty well.
Maybe it's because they still remind me of when I was a kid at the LA Auto Show literally dragging one of my parents around from stand to stand, ignoring their cries for help. Those are some fond memories to get me through the 9th hour of blood filling my shoes during press days.
But it turns out that the press days are far from depressing compared to something called "Dealer Preview." Already, it sounds thrilling. Let mr_benjamin_rolland talk you through it:
Press days B.S.? Try going on a Dealer Preview. I was snuck into the dealer day by my stepfather for Cadillac back in my high school years under the alias "Ryan Hills". We sat around a conference table on the bottom floor. The room was filled with sleepy eyed Tri-State Cadillac salesmen who were clearly bothered to be there. This wasn't some sort of magical gathering of all of the world's newest and best cars, no. This was a burden. An inconvenient trip to NY that was cutting into their time selling. It was something else. I clearly stuck out, with my choice of maroon dress pants, skinny tie, and 60's Ray Ban shooters. Amongst a sea of jaded middle aged car salesmen, there I was, all 17 years of me, like some kid who just watched a pot smoking santa claus pay a woman in a minnie mouse costume for sex. It was life changing. We were then escorted around the Cadillac display, as the fat cat capitalist pigs muttered lewd comments about the booth professionals under their breath. We then checked out competitor booths, made fun of kia, and went back across the river to NJ. That was the day I decided not to work in the car sales industry.
That's why I'm glad I just went as a member of the public for roughly 20 years, collecting as many Saturn bags as I could. Which have actually held up rather well over the years, I might add.
Photo: AP Images