The 2009 Detroit Auto Show - A Role Call for the Industry

This year's North American International Auto Show was a role call of sorts to see who was here, who wasn't, who moved to the front of the class, and who moved to the back.

Present and accounted for were Ford, Lincoln, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick, Toyota, Lexus, Audi, BMW, Mini, and Jaguar.  They all made new product announcements and used the event to showcase their resolve, despite tough times.

VW, Hyundai, Kia, Subaru, and Volvo showed off concepts to prove they're still in the game, but were holding their positions.  Honda, Acura, Mazda, Land Rover, and Mercedes didn't give up any real estate, but also didn't make any significant announcements.

Absentees included Nissan, Infiniti, Porsche, Suzuki, and Mitsubishi.  Porsche bailed out last year and the rest this year.  Once you leave, it's tough to get back the real estate you gave up.  Players like Kia and BYD took advantage and improved their visibility.  

Moving to the back of the class were struggling brands like Mercury, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Hummer, Pontiac, Saturn, GMC, and SAAB.  They may not be back depending on what happens in 2009.

Some say that 25% of dealers and brands may go away in 2009.  If that's the case, the 2010 show should have a completely different landscape.  For now, it's a survival test and the reality is that we just don't need this many brands, especially when consumers aren't shopping.