Some Import Brands to Skip Detroit Auto Show

Chinese automakers are coming to the Detroit auto show in January, but reflecting hard times in the U.S. market, Nissan Motor Co. and some other brands are going to skip it, according to published reports.

Before the current crisis, it would have been unthinkable to skip the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, without at least a token presence.

Automakers have scaled back their exhibits in previous recessions, but Detroit has been a “must” for all major manufacturers represented in the U.S. market for more than 20 years. Before that, the show was traditionally a showcase only for the Detroit Big Three.

One Chinese auto manufacturer, Brilliance Auto, will have its first exhibit at the 2009 Detroit show, according to the show’s sponsors, the Detroit Auto Dealers Association. In China, Brilliance is a partner with Germany’s BMW AG.  It assembles the BMW 3 Series and 5 Series for sale in the domestic Chinese market. It also builds Toyota cars under license, for the Chinese market. Brilliance also sells its own Zhonghua brand of vehicles in China. Eventually, Brilliance intends to sell vehicles in the U.S.

Chinese battery maker BYD, which makes rechargeable batteries, had an exhibit at the 2008 Detroit show, and it will return for the 2009 show, auto show officials said. BYD expects to develop its own electric-hybrid cars, to sell in China later this year; Europe and Israel by 2010; and eventually, in North America.

Meanwhile, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Land Rover, Rolls-Royce and Ferrari are said to be skipping the Detroit show. It will be interesting to see whether Nissan’s defection will break the ice for other major automakers to follow suit.