The Motor City will see some proof of the Chinese auto industry's growing ambitions next month when Geely Automobile Co (
Geely plans a limited appearance, said John Harmer, vice president of Geely-USA Inc. It will show only one car -- a five-passenger sedan called the 7151 CK -- in the lobby of Cobo Center, where the North American International Auto Show is held. Geely's display will be up Jan. 8-11, during the show's media preview, but will be gone when the show opens to the public on Jan. 14.
"Our presence in Detroit at this show is not to market the automobile. We are coming only to introduce ourselves to the American media," Harmer said.
Still, Geely will get plenty of attention. There will be more than 6,800 journalists from 63 countries at the Detroit show, according to organizers. Of all the auto shows in North America, shows in Detroit and Los Angeles typically get the most media attention, said Michael Robinet, an auto analyst with the consulting firm CSM Worldwide.
"Auto shows are one of the quickest and best ways to increase your exposure because of the volume and the breadth of the media that will be there," Robinet said.
"In many respects, the real auto show is during the press days," he said.
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