SO LONG IS DEPENDENT ON A REALLY BIG YEAR THIS YEAR, AND THAT’S OUR TOPIC TODAY ON FLASHPOINT.
WE’RE GONNA START THIS MORNING
HERE AT HUNTINGTON’S PLACE IN
THIS NEW EDITION OF THE DETROIT
AUTO SHOW, YOU LOOK AROUND THE
SHOWROOM FLOOR HERE IT IS
DIFFERENT. THERE’S NOT NEAR AS
MUCH BRIC A BRAC NOT AS MUCH
BEING SPENT ON THE DISPLAYS
THEMSELVES. IT IS DESIGNED THAT
WAY TO BE A MUCH MORE HANDS ON
INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE. WE’RE
GOING TO START THIS MORNING
TALKING ABOUT WHAT IS A TERRIBLY
IMPORTANT YEAR. FOR ONE OF THE
MARQUEE EVENTS OF ANY YEAR IN
DETROIT, EXCEPT FOR THE LAST
COUPLE, AND NOBODY IS HAPPIER TO
HAVE IT BACK IN THE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF THE NORTH AMERICAN
INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW. ROD
ALBERTS, ROD, GOOD TO SEE YOU SO
GREAT BEING HERE, DEVIN, IT IS
NICE TO BE BACK AT IT COULD YOU
CAN’T BELIEVE HOW LONG IT’S
BEEN. I DON’T WANT TO OVERSTATE
IT. I SAID LAST WEEK ON THE
PROGRAM. THIS FEELS LIKE A
REALLY IMPORTANT YEAR FOR THE
SURVIVAL IN THE EXISTENCE OF
THIS SHOW, MY RIGHT, WELL, LOOK
AT THE IT’S BEEN 3.5 YEARS SINCE
WE’VE HAD A SHOW. AND I’VE BEEN
HERE FOR 30 YEARS, SO I WAS HERE
WITH THE BEGINNING OF GOING
INTERNATIONAL. AND WHAT A GREAT
RUN. WE HAD RENT, YOU KNOW, WITH
THE RAISING MONEY FOR CHARITIES
AND ALL THE UNVEILINGS, BUT IT’S
A DIFFERENT TIME. EVERYTHING WE
WENT THROUGH THE PANDEMIC CHANGE
THE WORLD TECHNOLOGY ADVANCED AT
A GREATER SPEED WITHIN THE CARS
ON THE WAY THEY MARKET AND WITH
WHAT YOU DO FOR A LIVING TO, SO
WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT IT, WHAT
WE WANT TO DO IS EMBRACE THE
CHANGE. SHOW DETROIT IN THE
LEADERSHIP POSITION AND MOBILITY
DO THINGS DIFFERENT SHOWS AROUND
THE WORLD HAVE HAD CHALLENGES,
BUT WE FOUND A WAY THIS YEAR TO
REALLY CREATE SOME HYPE, BRING
THE PRESIDENT IN AND DO SOME
THINGS DIFFERENTLY. IT’S CRAZY
DAVIS PAST WEEK WITH HIM HERE,
BUT TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
THE MOVE TO TRY TO CREATE A MORE
EXPERIENTIAL MOMENT FOR THE
PEOPLE THAT COME TO A SHOW. IT’S
NOT YOU DON’T WANT THIS TO BE
JUST WALKING AROUND THE SHOWROOM
ANYMORE. REMEMBER THE OLD DAYS?
IT WAS ABOUT KICKING TIRES. YOU
KNOW THAT WHOLE CLICHE
STATEMENT. HERE’S WHAT WE HAVE
TODAY IS PEOPLE WANT TO GET IN
THE CARS AND FEEL THE
ACTIVATIONS FILLED EXPERIENCE.
TOUCH THEM WRITING THEM. NO
ELECTRIFICATION IS ALL ABOUT THE
ONLY WAY TO DO THAT IS PUT HIM
IN THE CAR. AND WE’RE DOING IT
RIGHT HERE IN THE AND THEN AND
HUNTINGTON’S PLACE, SO WE GOT
FIVE OR SIX ACTIVATIONS ON THE
SHOW FLOOR THAT YOU GET IN THE
CAR AND GO TO 0 60 AND THREE
SECONDS RIGHT HERE. GO UP THE
MOUNTAIN IN A BRONCO AND TAKE
CAMP JEEP OVER MOUNTAINS TO.
IT’S JUST AN INCREDIBLE
EXPERIENCE THAT YOU CAN DO HERE.
PLUS THE FACT THAT THERE AREN’T
THAT MANY CARS OUT THERE YOU CAN
GO LOOK AT RIGHT NOW. WITH
INVENTORIES. IT’S REALLY TRUE,
AND THAT’S ONE OF THE BIG
DILEMMAS THAT YOU’VE GOT AND
THAT THE DEALERS HAVE, AND WE’RE
GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
THE FUTURE OF BEING A DEALER
RIGHT NOW, BUT IN JUST LET ME
GET BACK TO THE FACT THAT WE
MOVED TO SEPTEMBER BECAUSE I
SPENT ENOUGH YEARS SLOGGING
THROUGH THE SNOW TO WALK FROM
THE STUDIO TO GET OVER HERE.
IMAGINE THE REACTION TO THAT SO
FAR HAS BEEN PRETTY POSITIVE
ABOUT THAT. WE HAVE 2000 MEDIA
HERE FROM 40 COUNTRIES AND 45
STATES. HERE. WE HAVE ALL THESE
THAT CAME IN THIS WEEK. IN THE
MONTH OF SEPTEMBER. IN THIS KIND
OF WEATHER, THEY THOUGHT ALL WE
HAD WAS JANUARY OVERCAST AND
SNOWY. REMEMBER THOSE DAYS BUT
THINKING HERE WE HAVE SHOWING
OFFICE SHOWCASE TO THE WORLD.
HOW GREAT DETROIT IS IN THIS
TIME OF YEAR. OUTDOOR
ACTIVATIONS, ENGAGING PEOPLE
BRINGING THEM DOWNTOWN,
EDUCATING ELECTRIFICATION AND
MAKE THE SHOW A DIFFERENT KIND
OF SHOW AGAIN. CHANGE IS VERY
DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE BUT
EMBRACING IT AND TAKING IT TO
THE FUTURE WHERE IT’S HEADED.
WHY NOT? LET’S TALK FLYING
MOBILITY ALL THE WAY TO TWO
CARDS THAT WE HAVE HERE THAT ARE
ELECTRIFIED. WHERE SHOULD WE
START? LET’S START IT FORWARD. I
THINK THAT’S A GREAT PLACE. THEY
GOT A GREAT ACTIVATIONS OVER
THERE, AND I THINK EVERYBODY’S
GOING TO LOVE IT THIS WEEKEND.
THAT IS A PICKUP TRUCK TAKING
OFF LIKE DARE I SAY LIGHTNING?
THAT’S THE FOREIGN F 1 50
LIGHTNING ROD. SO MANY PEOPLE
ARE CURIOUS ABOUT ELECTRICS.
THEY REALLY HAVEN’T HAD THE
EXPERIENCE. THIS IS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY FIGURE OUT
WHAT IT’S ABOUT. PROBABLY FOR
THE FIRST TIME THEY EVER HERE IN
DETROIT. YOU’VE GOT ALL THESE
ACTIVATIONS. BUT HERE RIGHT HERE
IN FORD BRONCO MOUNTAIN, AND I
HEAR IT’S LIKE 35 OR 40 DEGREE,
WHICH FEELS LIKE YOU’RE LOOKING
STRAIGHT DOWN. WHEN YOU’RE GOING
DOWN. IT’S AMAZING AND IT’S A
CHANCE TO REALLY FEEL THE
VEHICLE AND WHAT IT CAN DO WHEN
YOU TOLD THE AUTOMAKERS THAT YOU
WANTED THIS, TO BE THERE TO BE
MORE EXPERIENCE IS BUILT INTO
THE SHOW. DID THEY EMBRACE THAT
IMMEDIATELY THINK THAT’S GREAT
OR THEIR ROLL THEIR EYES AGO OF
TERRIFIC NOW THIS IS SOMETHING
ELSE WE HAVE TO DO, BUDDY BUDDY.
YOUR MASK. YOU KNOW, THE
CONSUMERS REALLY WANTED TO THIS
NEW GENERATION. MEIJER WANTS TO
KNOW THE TECHNOLOGY AND THE FEEL
OF THE CAR. SOME OF THE AMS AND
MANUFACTURERS COME TO PLAY. HERE
THEY GO. LET’S DO THAT FOR THEM
TO LET’S NOT BUILD A TAJ MAHAL
DISPLAYS ANYMORE. LET’S PUT IT
INTO THE ACTIVATIONS. AND THAT’S
WHAT YOU HAVE HERE. SO WHEN YOU
TAKE A BRONCO MOUNTAIN OR THE
FORD F 1 50 LIGHTNING GOING 0 TO
60 IN THREE SECONDS IT DOESN’T
GET BETTER THAN THAT. I MEAN,
THAT’S WHAT YOU WANT TO REALLY
EXPERIENCE THE PRODUCT. IT’S
REALLY THE MIRACLE OF THE
ELECTRICAL ELECTRIFIED VEHICLES
LIKE ELECTRIC CARS. PEOPLE ON
THE PROGRAM KNOW THAT I’M AN
ARDENT SUPPORTER AND BELIEVER,
BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE REALLY
HAVEN’T HAD A CHANCE TO GET TO
FIGURE OUT WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT.
BUT THAT ALSO PUSHED THE
QUESTION. ROD ARE WE PUSHING
PEOPLE TO ELECTRIC? BEFORE THE
MARKETS READY BEFORE THEY’RE
READY AND BEFORE THE
INFRASTRUCTURE IS READY, THE
$64,000 QUESTION BECAUSE THE
GOVERNMENT IS PUSHING IT IN A
BIG WAY. OBVIOUSLY, WE HAD THE
PRESIDENT TALKED ABOUT THAT. BUT
I THINK FROM A CONSUMER SIDE,
THERE’S AN EDUCATION THAT GOES
ALONG WITH IT, AND THAT’S OUR
JOB. THAT’S OUR JOB WITH THE
SHOW AND IN DETROIT AND TO SHOW
OFF WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH IT,
THAT IT DOES WORK. BUT THERE IS
A COMFORT LEVEL THAT YOU HAVE TO
GET AND WE’RE NOT THERE YET.
THERE’S A TRANSITION AND WE ALL
HAVE TO BE A PART OF THAT. BUT
AS SOON AS YOU BUY IN, THERE’LL
BE A DAY YOU LOOK BACK TO GO.
DID WE ACTUALLY DRIVE THOSE
OTHER CARS? THE WAY IT IS THE
BEGINNING OF EVERY REVOLUTION,
RIGHT? YEAH BUT AT THE FOREFRONT
OF THAT WE CAN BE THERE AND
ESPECIALLY WITH THE TECHNOLOGY
AND AUTUMN ABILITY THAT WE HAVE
HERE WITH STARTUPS. WE HAVE 80
STARTUPS HERE. TECHNOLOGY
COMPANIES THAT AREN’T EVEN
ENCOURAGED YET. THAT COULD BE IN
THE FUTURE. SO WE’RE AT THE
FOREFRONT. BUT LET’S ALL BE THAT
AND I THINK IN TIME THERE’LL BE
A BUYING, BUT LET’S BE PATIENT.
LET’S BE PATIENT PATIENT. LET’S
MOVE ON SEE WHAT ELSE WE CAN
FIND. WELL WE’VE MADE IT TO CAMP
JEEP. ONE MORE EXPERIENCE KIND
OF KIND OF BUILT A MASSIVE HILL
IN HERE TO SHOW WHAT A JEEP CAN
DO, AND IT’S ONE MORE. I IMAGINE
THE LINES ARE GOING TO GET LONG
FOR ALL THESE EXPERIENCES, BUT
THAT’S GOING TO BE A GOOD THING
FOR YOU TO SEE. THAT’S A GREAT
THING. WE WANT PEOPLE TO COME
DOWN AND FROM ALL OVER THE METRO
AREA AROUND THE OTHER STATES
WILL PROBABLY GET A GOOD GOOD
CROWD. BUT IF YOU HAVE THESE
KINDS OF EXPERIENCES THAT WE
HAVE HERE, SHOWING WHAT THEY’RE
DOING TODAY AND AGAIN, 3.5 YEARS
AND A LOT OF THESE CARS YOU
CAN’T EVEN FIND IN A LOT OF THE
DEALERSHIPS. NOW YOU HAVE TO
ORDER AND WAIT THEIR
OPPORTUNITY. THE OTHER THING
THAT WAS MISSING FOR THE LAST
COUPLE OF YEARS WAS ALL THE
ANCILLARY STUFF FOR THE CITY OF
DETROIT. THE RESTAURANTS, THE
HOTELS, THEY’VE GOT TO BE
ECSTATIC THAT THIS IS UP AND
RUNNING AGAIN, BUT THEY ALSO
NEEDED TO CONTINUE TO SUCCEED IF
WE CAN BE A PART OF THAT
CATALYST TO ENERGIZE DETROIT AND
THE RESTAURANTS AND THE
COMMUNITY AND PARKS DOWNTOWN.
ESPECIALLY THIS TIME OF YEAR.
WHY NOT? THE ECONOMIC IMPACT
COULD BE A COUPLE $100 MILLION
EVERY YEAR. LET’S GET THIS BACK
ON TRACK AND DO IT EVERY YEAR
BECAUSE IT REALLY IS HAPPENING A
SUPER BOWL HERE. THE LAST THING
I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT.
WE’RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THIS
IN OUR NEXT SEGMENT IS THE
FUTURE, THOUGH FOR DEALERSHIPS
CAN’T BELIEVE HOW QUICKLY WE’VE
GONE TO THE PLACE WHERE MORE
THAN HALF OF THE VEHICLES ARE
NOW PURCHASED ONLINE, SO I KNOW
DEALERS ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
THE FUTURE OF THEMSELVES. WHAT
DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO YOU
REALIZE, TOO, THAT WHEN YOU’RE
BUYING A CAR THESE DAYS, THEY
CAN BE $45,000.40. THAT’S A BIG
PURCHASE. LIKE BUYING A HOUSE.
YOU STILL HAVE TO GO SEE THE
VEHICLE WHETHER OR NOT TO SHOW
OR THE DEALERSHIP. I KNOW
THEY’RE BUYING ONLINE, BUT THEY
STILL AT SOME POINT THEY NEEDED
SERVICE AND THE DEALERS IN THEIR
COMMUNITIES ARE IMPORTANT TO BE
A PART OF THEIR COMMUNITY.
THERE’S A PLACE FOR ALL THAT.
BECAUSE AGAIN IT’S IMPORTANT
PART OF THE FAMILY OF THE AUTO
WORLD IN WHICH YOU HAVE IN YOUR
CULTURE, AND YOUR CAR IS A VERY
IMPORTANT ASPECT OF YOUR
LIFESTYLE, SO THE DEALS WILL
PLAY THAT ROLE, AND WE’RE GOING