U.K.'s Autocar Weighs In on "Weirdest" L.A. Auto Show

We all know that the domestics had less of a presence at the L.A. Auto Show due to harsh economic realities and just the daily struggle of staying solvent. But Autocar weighed in with their uniquely British perspective on the view from the floor in L.A., calling it "the weirdest US motor show opening of modern times" and saying "the California air was actually full of the car industry's ever-accelerating financial desperation."

They claimed that Chrysler stand was devoid of both "the kind of lighting rig that Audi had set up across the aisle" as well as pearly-toothed execs. GM, too, was struggling, and had run full-page ads warning of the disaster that would surely follow if the domestics didn't get the $25 billion they were requesting. Autocar felt that Ford was the most poised, and showed little signs of struggle, and pushing ahead with a full lineup that included the impressive new 2010 Mustang.

Autocar felt that "signs of a meltdown were obvious" from the L.A. vantage point. Typically the proud locus of showy new models and the kind of bragging rights that play well in image-conscious Los Angeles, this year's L.A. Auto Show was a sobering view of an industry that is being turned inside-out by a brutal market. But are Mulally, Wagoner, and Nardelli really sharing in their company's pain, traveling on high in private jets as they ask a dubious Congress for massive federal assistance?--Colin Mathews
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Make sure you check out our partner sites dedicated to focused news, reviews and more for Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, Honda, and the Toyota Prius. 2010 Ford MustangEnlarge PhotoWe all know that the domestics had less of a presence at the L.A. Auto Show due to harsh economic realities and just the daily struggle of staying solvent. But Autocar weighed in with their uniquely British perspective on the view from the floor in L.A., calling it "the weirdest US motor show opening of modern times" and saying "the California air was actually full of the car industry's ever-accelerating financial desperation." They claimed that Chrysler stand was devoid of both "the kind of lighting rig that Audi had set up across the aisle" as well as pearly-toothed execs. GM, too, was struggling, and had run full-page ads warning of the disaster that would surely follow if the domestics didn't get the $25 billion they were requesting. Autocar felt that Ford was the most poised, and showed little signs of struggle, and pushing ahead with a full lineup that included the impressive new 2010 Mustang. Autocar felt that "signs of a meltdown were obvious" from the L.A. vantage point. Typically the proud locus of showy new models and the kind of bragging rights that play well in image-conscious Los Angeles, this year's L.A. Auto Show was a sobering view of an industry that is being turned inside-out by a brutal market. But are Mulally, Wagoner, and Nardelli really sharing in their company's pain, traveling on high in private jets as they ask a dubious Congress for massive federal assistance?--Colin Mathews --- Make sure you check out our partner sites dedicated to focused news, reviews and more for Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, Honda, and the Toyota Prius.