I didn’t plan on attending the North American International Auto Show this year… I really didn’t. TTAC generally avoids the expense and hoopla of the major auto shows, focused as we are on analysis more than “check out this new hotness” reportage. But this year things are a little different. After my third New York Times op-eds in the last year or so, I’ve been asked by the PBS NewsHour to appear in their piece on the recovery (or, as we like to say here at TTAC, not) of the American auto industry… so in a few hours I will be hopping a plane to Motown for my first-ever NAIAS. While we’re in Motown (and that’s not the editorial “we”… my beautiful and long-suffering life partner has taken the time off work to come support me and take in the sights of Detroit in January) we’ll be stopping in at the UAW protest, reporting on the new launches and reveals, and rubbing elbows with industry reps as well as meeting with TTAC’s staff and our owners from VerticalScope. But there’s another reason we’re headed to Detroit: it’s time to do a little PR work of our own.
Just as every PR flack in the business is descending on Detroit with an agenda to push, we’re going to spread the good news about TTAC’s success and to push the industry to embrace our unique brand of truth-telling. Over the last year or so, TTAC’s writers and opinions have been featured in mainstream media outlets as diverse as CNN, Fox News, Fox Business, The NY Times, Reuters, the BBC World Service and MSN Money. Over the same period, I’ve personally been mocked by the White House press secretary and been compared to everyone from Rush Limbaugh to Tom Friedman (and hey, I fall somewhere in the middle of the two). In short, and like it or not, TTAC has assumed a fairly prominent role in the national discourse about an industry that is deeply tied to the course of American events (for a blog, anyway). And we’ve done so while simultaneously entertaining and informing our readers with top-notch reviews, explorations of the history of the automobile, entertaining narratives and in-depth looks at all aspects of the car industry and automotive culture. It’s time for the industry to stop labeling TTAC as “haters” or “bashers” and accept that there is an important market for hard-hitting, pull-no-punches news and analysis about cars. TTAC is not another compliant buff-book clone, nor should we have to be to get access to new products and important stories.
TTAC does what it does in order to serve you, our readers… the consumers and enthusiasts who make the entire auto industry possible. And in that spirit, we would be remiss if we didn’t take the opportunity to meet up with you as well. So next Tuesday evening, myself and as many of TTAC’s writers that can make it will make ourselves available to anyone who wishes to come chat about cars, the car industry and TTAC. We have not yet determined an exact time and location for this meet-up, but it will almost certainly be somewhere in the downtown Detroit area. Look for an announcement here at TTAC by the end of the weekend… and if you have suggestions for a good location, do let us know at our contact form.
Thank you to all our readers for appreciating (if not always agreeing with) TTAC’s unique take on all things automotive. I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible in Motown next week!
Ahhh…the “Big Time” is calling, and deservedly so. Now, if you can get a very few of the commentors to clean up their acts, all the better! Congratulations on (finally) being noticed for how good TTAC truly is. Wish I could be there. Enjoy yourself!
Now, if you can get a very few of the commentors to clean up their acts, all the better!
If my momma and my ex-wife couldn’t do it, it ain’t gonna happen for Ed. I’m the only hell my momma ever raised.
If you are going to Detroit in January, pack 2 things:
1. Silk longjohns
2. Body armor
Maybe there is a hunting or military surplus shop that sells these 2 combined?
Stay warm and keep your heads down.
MacDaddy (aka, former Detroit resident, so I have the right to condescend)
Since Kwame and his possie got rooms at the Steel Bar Hotel, and after the firearm-augmented New Year’s celebrations die down, one only needs the long-johns this time of year…
Is that a dogwhistle I hear, Robert.Walter?
I’m quite familiar with that sound, being from the 313. I could have SWORN I heard it!
Good luck in my old hometown. BTW, be careful what you wish for. If the rest of the industry embraces your approach, you will lose your Unique Selling Point…
How you gonna keep ’em down on the farm etc…
So you may not be a buff book clone but the powers that be can make it quite difficult and enticing. Vigilance.
Congrats on your continued success and quest to “keep it real”. (my apologies, couldn’t think of another appropriate phrase.)
Cool. I’ll be there Monday and Tuesday covering the preview for a newspaper. See ya there.
*tear* They grow up so fast…
I am a bit envious. Despite Detroit’s numerous known problems – decay, urban blight etc – I would love to visit the place. My wife thinks I’m insane, but some of my favourite cars and favourite music was born there. Have fun!
Greektown is nice, as are the ‘burbs to the Northwest (Livonia / Bloomfield). Ann Arbor is a fun trip, too.
Sinistermisterman, the area around Detroit is a great place to visit in the summer. Love all the car museums and recommend the Ford Rouge Factory Tour if the assembly line is running. The city of Detroit itself is messed up, but most of the car related destinations are in the suburbs outside of the war zone.
An interesting place to visit is the old Ford Piquette Road plant – it’s where Henry started playing around with the idea of the moving assembly line. Even more interesting is the area around the plant – many of the nearby homes were owned by various important figures of the early auto industry. It’s sad to see the state they are in now, many of them abandoned or severly run down – although there are a few though that appear to be in the care of well-intentioned owners trying to do their best with what they’ve got.
The entire area around that old Ford plant is like a cradle of early automotive history. Although many of the buildings are being re-purposed as something else, there are still visible clues as to their origins.
CONGRATULATIONS on the PBS Newshour invitation… any details on when it will air?
Make sure to take in all the sights.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/gallery/2011/jan/02/photography-detroit#/?picture=370173054&index=0
TTAC is definitely growing it’s presence. In July, I heard Rush mention Edward Niedermeyer by name during the fallout of the first NTY piece.
Enjoy Edward! Like a fellow commentor said above: Keep it real!
If you really want to make an impact, three words: Baruth Dunking Booth.
This year I’m bringing Vodka McBigbra as my personal assistant, so I think the wet T-shirt contest would actually pull more charity cash.
I’ve been to the show bunches of times and Detroit and it’s downtown is pretty cool.
–don’t wear long johns b/c you’ll be hot in the show, bring the parka and hat so you don’t freeze and take advantage of the coat check.
–you’ve got to visit the Henry Ford museum if you can
–check out this place for a downtown watering hole (or the hockeytown cafe).
http://www.oldshillelagh.com/
–pick monday if you want to go across the river to Canada, the traffic sucks getting across on an auto show weekend
if you have an hour to kill, you can ride the monorail thing they have that does a loop around downtown.
Have fun.
mtr2car1, Good suggestions.
Ed,
I highly suggest that you return to Detroit for AutoRama. It is much better than the NAIAS. Usually AutoRama is around the end of February. Check online.
I will be heading out Monday back to China.
So I will miss the NAIAS.
Everyone enjoy!
Congrats!
If I get a chance I may try to drop across the river to see what’s happening.
“TTAC is not another compliant buff-book clone, nor should we have to be to get access to new products and important stories.”
Be careful what you wish for . . . . . The road to hell is paved with . . . . It seemed like a good idea at the time . . . . . etc. etc.
I’m all for TTAC’s superb contributors making career headway and so on, but I believe you (and us, the readers) are better off without the access you describe. Bear in mind, this site became what it is today without said access. With the access it may become better, or not, but it will forever change. You are being invited to this party partly (or entirely) because they want to absorb you and quiet you. If this is not obvious, then reconsider the unfolding of the events that let up to this in an abstract way — not in relation to this web site or the auto industry. Consider the personalities you are interacting with and the nature of the interactions. The squeaky wheel gets noticed, but any offering (the grease) is intended to quiet it. The lion invites you to his lair not to share dinner but to make of you a dinner.
I’m willing to bet (and offer to put up or shut up when my personal fleet is relevant) that most TTACers would be pleased to loan their personal cars–even new ones–to TTAC’s writers and reviewers. There’s little point in trying to scoop the mainstream publications as TTAC’s strength is in analysis, not in breaking news. Do not lose sight of who you are. The cars that really can’t be gotten are interesting for their sensationalism and unobtainability rather than their contribution to the automotive scene. Please do comment on the specs and the hype, but it is really not necessary to drive and report on these sorts of vehicles firsthand.
Of course, I do not know the business case behind TTAC’s attendance at this event, but I’m seeing a slippery slope ahead.
I’m in Metro DC. Let me know if you need an Accord, an Odyssey, or a MINI Cooper. I’ll even supply the gas and lunch at one of my favorite hole-in-the-wall locations (much better than the food at convention/show lounges). I’m sure I’m not the only one.
to this wisdom I would only add that when trying to find out what’s going on in, say, GM, or the Federal Gov’t, or any big institution, one probably gets a lot more insight from those lower on the hierarchy than the people at the top, who have been practicing their message.
David,
There are plenty of lower hierarchy people at the NAIAS. It’s a great opportunity to talk to the actual designers and engineers who work on the cars being revealed. It’s not all talking points and plenty of people inside the car companies can be forthcoming.
findude,
Nobody really gets invited to the NAIAS, at least not working journalists. You apply for credentials. As I understand it, Ed’s coming to Detroit because NPR or PBS wants to interview him there, not because industry insiders want him there.
If you’re too much of an outsider, you get shut out of events and information. Much as I respect Robert, I don’t think that TTAC could have grown beyond a certain point as long as Farago was in charge. If people regard TTAC’s brand as “Detroit sucks” that hurts our credibility just as much as if people thought we were cheerleaders.
As for car reviews, those happen to be one of the things that draw traffic to car sites. If we only tested cars that our readers owned, we’d have far fewer reviews and even fewer on brand spanking new, just released models. Less traffic to the site means less ad revenue means bye bye site.
Though not exactly a tourist mecca Detroit has some pretty funky sites. You may if time permitting check out the Motown Museum just down the street from GM world headquarters and if a road trip is permissible the Henry Ford Museum can easily eat up a day. Also about 50 mile south for the outdoorsy types is Cabella’s which is one humongous sporting goods store.
I have always tried to get a hotel in Greektown, great restaurants, handy casino and the people mover lets you off right in Cobo Hall. If i recall the fare for that is 50 cents.
PS Stay indoors as much as possible, January is cold, damp and bleak in Detroit.
TTAC has come a long way, and for the good too. I’m glad you guys are getting exposure outside of the internet world while staying true to your mission.
Good luck in Detroit and give the newsreaders, automakers, and us the best damn reporting you got (like always)! Hopefully one of these days, my partner and I will visit a large auto show (outside of Oregon)!
I’m in. How about Detroit Beer Company just up the street from Cobo. We can have the upstairs .. not too loud, decent food and beer of course.
http://www.detroitbeerco.com/
Ooops, i was supposed to use the contact form …. too late.
I would also recommend the Detroit Beer Company. I will not be able to make it on a Tuesday, but this is my favorite establishment in Detroit.
“Ah’d rather have ’em inside the tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in.”
LBJ on making nice nice with enemies.
Careful.
Grrr, why couldn’t you have had the meet-up over the weekend??? I live three hours north of Detroit, so my work schedule will not permit me to take off on a Tuesday.
I am heading to NAIAS on the 21st, so if you need any pics or extra commentary, please let me know. Or…if you can’t find anyone to hang out with tomorrow, drop me a line!
-Richard
PBS? Avoid Gwen Ifill, she is a biased hack, an agenda-driven advocate with an aggoronat attitude and thus not fit for journalism.
Somehow I doubt that she’s going to be the interviewer when it comes to cars. But she certainly did a terrible job moderating the VP debate.
Must See sights:
PizzaPaPalis in Greektown
Vicente’s Cuban Cuisine downtown
The hookers and tittie bars on Michigan Ave
And definitely hop the border into Windsor to pick up some Havana Club and some Cubans.
…to appear in their piece on the recovery (or, as we like to say here at TTAC, not) of the American auto industry…
Well, we can only assume you didn’t buy Ford stock at less than $2 when TTAC was mocking “Mullaly and his minions” in each Ford Death Watch. Otherwise, you could retire and there would be no need to take your long-suffering life partner to our beleaguered but welcoming city. But please enjoy the many wonderful restaurants we have.
BTW, my personal recommendation for you and your long-suffering life partner is Roma Cafe
http://www.romacafe.com/
Forgive me if I’m wrong. But wasn’t the Ford Death Watch a Farago undertaking?
the recovery (or, as we like to say here at TTAC, not)
Farago’s hubris and eloquence is gone. But his spirit lives in TTAC (mostly in Bertel, somewhat in Ed).
Bertel and Ed…gotta love them…everyone needs a punching bag.
BTW my rec for Roma was sincere. I hope you enjoy our city.
Edward, I’m curious if the 2012 Toyota Camry continues get design inspiration from kryten’s head.
http://www.geekforcefive.com/blog/article/twitter_me_this_red_dwarf_back_to_earth_update
Also curious if the Volkswagen NMS is like a big, decontented 2011 Jetta or if it gets a better interior.
Would like to know how the 2012 Honda Civic compares to the 2012 Ford Focus.
The Ford F-150 Ecoboost engine teardown looks really cool.
The National Automotive History Collection is located at the Skillman Branch of the Detroit Public Library. It is absolute nirvana for any true car guy, with the largest and most comprehensive collection of automotive brochures, manuscripts, service manuals you will find anywhere. Right downtown, across from Vicente’s Cuban Cuisine. You will thank me later for this!
I’m a bit miffed at the Skillman branch. I’ve done my share to hype the NAHC, writing an article here on TTAC about it and for Left Lane News as well (encouraging journalists coming to the NAIAS to hop on the People Mover and visit the NAHC). I even wanted to hold a publicity event for a project during the NAIAS preview, at the NAHC. The curator of the NAHC approved but said I’d have to talk to the branch manager. I sent the manager an email asking about availability and pricing. He never got back to me. On Tuesday when I’m downtown I plan on going over there and telling him how his inaction is typical of what goes on in Detroit. Much as I love my hometown, there are people here who just don’t get it.
Wish I was going. I was originally planning to time my next business trip to Detroit to coincide with NAIAS, but I’m busier than expected and I’m not going to be able to get away.
For future NAIAS meet-ups, think about booking a group tour of the Rouge Plant or Henry Ford Museum. Even better, get a sponsor to subsidize the event. The Dream Cruise might be another opportunity get together and to promote TTAC.
I just KNOW you won’t
a) collect as much literature as possible and offer it for sale on E Bay the following day.
b) stuff your mouth with egg salad and chocolate cake while you pretend to be interested in what’s going on and
c) act like all the other so-called automotive journalists who flock to these shows and scavenge the place for all they can get.
The market for press kits and such has really declined since the wild and woolly days of a decade ago. Look on eBay, none of that stuff gets any bids. It’s kind of funny. None of the big shows are as tough to get credentialed to as Detroit is. LA is a snap, so is Toronto. New York isn’t usually a problem (though I’ve never gone due to conflicts with Passover). Chicago is actually easier to get past their review process than Detroit is. Still, the Chicago show is the only show whose organizers go out of their way to make noise about keeping non-journalists out of the show, specifically mentioning people trying to get freebies. I just got my annual email from Paul Brian, who’s the communications director of the CAS, wherein he warns all those would be press kit thiefs to stay out of Dodge.. er Chicago.
The NAIAS credentials packet makes clear who is allowed in and who isn’t and they leave it at that (and up to the credentials committee and their assistants to make sure those attending are legit). Chicago makes a lot of noise about the purity of their selection process. Maybe that’s why there will be 5,000-6,000 journalists at the Detroit show and about 700-1,000 in Chicago.
What’s really funny about all this is that while I’m legit, over the years I actually have gotten to know some of the guys who work the shows to get stuff to sell (even the sales brochures during the public days are collectible, FYI). For all the noise that Chicago makes, none of the literature, toy and swag dealers that I’ve known have ever had a problem getting into the Chicago show. As a matter of fact, I know of one swag dealer whose assistant was scouting out the Chicago show a day early and walked out with a case of Dodge Challenger die cast models. That kind of stuff isn’t as likely to happen in Detroit.
If you want a really good artery-clogging burger, head west on Michigan avenue to Dearborn and stop at Miller’s Bar. They’ll still cook it anyway you want and there’s nothing like a nice medium-rare burger…yummy. It’s in the shadow of Ford World Headquarters and can get pretty busy around lunchtime, so get there closer to 11am if you want to get a seat without waiting.
+1 on Miller’s Bar. Definitely get there early for lunch or go in the evening.
+2 for Miller’s.
+3. You will never understand Detroit until you spend an evening or ten at Miller’s.
We lived in the Detroit area when my wife was in grad school at Michigan in the 90s. Being from NY we were always craving some big city action so we spent a fair amount of our free time exploring Detroit for meals, concerts and Wings/Tigers games (and NAIAS and Autorama). It’s a great place but you have to seek out the fun. All of these posts are making me nostalgic, have fun. I wish I could be there to meet you guys and buy y’all a drink.
If you have time, check out the Chrysler Heritage Museum in Auburn Hills. The Hudson museum in Ypsilanti is a great half-day too.
Awwwwwwwwwwww man, I lived in Southfield for two years and missed the Hudson Museum! Crap.
You’ll laugh but one of things I miss about living so close to Canada is “Hockey Night In Canada.”
I’ve been to NAIAS three times in my life, once in college where my dad called me up one bright Saturday morning in my dorm room and said; “Your Uncle Tim, Cousin Brian, and I are going to the NAIAS, do you want to come?” And then the two years I lived in Detroit. I was there the year someone pulled a gun in the exhibition hall and made the crowd run like hell. Good times, good times…
Hockey Night in Canada is the best!
Bundle up, know where your wallet’s at, good luck, and have fun!
Way to throw me under the bus Steve.
It’s a brave new world, Robert. Calling it like you see it is one thing; rooting against the home team is another. Hard to tread the middle path sometimes, isn’t it? I hear plenty of Faragonian echoes here yet. Don’t despair. It’s still your baby, but he’s starting to grow up.