Filed under: Japan, Tokyo Motor Show
Tokyo Struggles To Remain Relevant On The World Stage
The 2009 Tokyo Motor Show was largely ignored by industry and media alike.
There is one model that looks more like a phone booth than a car, another that dispenses its driver like candy from a vending machine. There are party concepts, complete with disco lights, and other concept vehicles that could have been a case study for a film like Transformers. One thing you always know about the
Tokyo Motor Show was that you will get to see some of the wildest, weirdest and wackiest concept cars ever created - and occasionally some, like the snail-shaped
Nissan S-Cargo, might actually go into production.
There is a serious side, as well. And that is really what has made the biennial Tokyo Motor Show one of the automotive world's most important events, journalists and industry executives jostling for space as each new car was unveiled. And there are plenty of unveilings, sometimes two, even three simultaneous news conferences stretching out over the two-days allotted for the gathered media.
But something went wrong two years ago, the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show was largely ignored by industry and media alike. Indeed, many suspected there wouldn't even be a 2011 show. But in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami that struck the island nation last March, organizers redoubled their efforts to save the show. And how things turn out later this week could determine whether the Tokyo Motor Show thrives, survives in downsized form or simply vanishes, Japan ceding to the twin shows in
Beijing and
Shanghai that are rapidly becoming the must-attend industry gatherings.
Paul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.
Continue reading Will there be a Tokyo Motor Show in 2013?
Will there be a Tokyo Motor Show in 2013? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |
Email this |
Comments
Click here to read the full article.
Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/30/will-there-be-a-tokyo-motor-show-in-2013/
