Buffalo Rising Online

Feb 6th 2006, 12:00am By queenseyes

Cars Rolling In Slideshow This year will mark the 103rd year of the Buffalo Auto Show, and in all those years I have never once attended the event. As a matter of fact, now that I think about it, I can honestly say that I have only attended one other event at the Buffalo Convention Center and that is The Worldis Largest Disco.

A few days ago I received a phone call from Trey Barrett, Marketing Director for the Niagara Frontier Automobile Dealers Association, who asked if I was interested in coming down to see first hand the effort that goes into setting up for the show. I told him that I had never actually attended the event, but would love to see the show as it is seen through the eyes of a promoter.

When I arrived at the Convention Center yesterday morning I was excited to see that the buildingis front doors were already cranked open and the 285 show cars were rolling in on time. The cars are driven to the show every year from upwards of 80 auto dealers in the area. Itis a fantastic opportunity for the dealers to showcase their new models to over 1000,000 potential customers in a non-committal, no pressure atmosphere. People come to see the newly released hybrids, SUVs, custom cars and performance cars. As you can see from the slide show, I was really interested in the sports cars, which there were plenty of to see.

When it comes to cars I know what I like when I see a particular model, but other than that I canit tell you a whole lot about the specs of a type of car. I asked Trey what makes the Buffalo Auto Show so special, and he answered, iThere are so many great cars these days being offered at a decent price range ($15,000-$20,000), and people like to know that when they come to the show many of the models that they are checking out fall within their budget. There are better features built into the cars as well, so between that and higher performance, the customersi money goes a long way these days.i

The Buffalo Auto Show is a wonderful event for the City of Buffalo. The show attracts to downtown what amounts to over a third of the cityis population during the course of this upcoming week! The event has raised more than $400,000 for local charities since 1999 through its Tuesday night Charitable Gala Show Preview, and continues to generate additional dollars for the local economy.

Trey asked me why I had never attended the show and my answer was that I am usually not in the market for a car, and I donit often think to come to a venue where virtually all the cars come to you. Big mistake! The cars that rolled through the doors of the Convention Center were awesome. Before they make it onto the showroom floor, each car is individually hand-washed, then driven into an elevator, which takes it to the second floor, where it is then rolled through the centeris commercial kitchen and out onto the showroom floor.

The process of setting up this show is an intensive one. The organizers really have their work cut out for them, but to see how well everything flows during initial setup is exciting. Thatis why Buffalo Rising has a couple of sneak previews prepared for you. First, check out the slide show, which features many of the makes and models that will be featured at this yearis show. Then, take a look at the time-lapse video of the set-up and breakdown of the show. Finally, get yourself to the show to see first hand the latest cars that are already hitting dealership floors. Parents, this is a great opportunity to ewowi the kids, while looking for a new ride. Even if youire not in the market for a car, there are plenty of other activities that take place at the Buffalo Auto Show, so see ya down there all this week!

2006 BUFFALO AUTO SHOW iCool City, Hot Cars!i FEBRUARY 8TH n 12TH Wednesday n Friday: 11:00am -10:00pm Saturday 10:00am n 10:00pm / Sunday 10:00am n 6:00pm Visit www.buffaloautoshow.com for complete details

Highlights, Special Events and Displays

1. Charity Kick-Off Gala: hosted by NFADA Charitable Foundation the night before the show opens to help raise funds and awareness for Summit Educational Resources and Autism research. (Tuesday 8th, 7:00pm)

2. Official Ribbon Cutting: Dignitaries will open the show and kickoff a week of celebrating the automotive industry, downtown Buffalo and Winterfest activities. (Wed 8th, 10:45am)

3. Hybrids Showcased: All types of extremely fuel efficient or alternative fuel vehicles on display: everything from small cars to SUVis to full size trucks!

4. See NASCARis Top Performing Cars: Tony Stewartis Championship Winning # 20 nChevrolet Monte Carlo Busch North Champion Andy Santerreis Castle Car

Major Special Interest Vehicles: Chrysler ME Four Twelve Prototype Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid Dodge Caliber 07 Shelby Mustang GT 500 Porsche Cayman Jeep Hurricane Concept 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe Volkswagen Passat Wagon 2007 Ford Edge 1963 Jaguar XKE race Car 2007 Ford Sport Trac

5. Buffalois Best Restored Vehicle: Displayed in the Lobby n the winning car that went from a wreck to immaculate.

6. Auto Show combines Forces with Home Show: Wednesday and Thursday of the Auto Show n every person who attends receives a coupon good for free admittance to the 2006 Buffalo Home and Garden show (coupon good for certain days).

7. Kids: Meet Curious George, the Fisher Price Rescue Heroes: Billy Blaze & Little People in the Fisher Price Kids Experience (Sat. 12-5pm and Sun. 12-3:00pm)

8. Firework Display- Saturday 6:45PM!!!

9. Buick Lucerne VIP Lounge: Experience Buickis new flagship sedan in a luxurious setting

10. Kustom Workz Tuner Room: See a totally tricked out Corvette Stingray and an awesome customized Mercedes iGi Wagon n and one wild golf cart!

11. Winterfest Returns: Headquartered at the Hyatt n Winterfest offers many family oriented attractions.

12. Chance to Win a Car a Day: A daily chance to win one of the GM or Fab 6 vehicles

13. Miss America Beauty Detail Shop: Pamper yourself with a computerized makeover, manicure, paraffin dip. Brought to you by Miss Buffalo Scholarship Program, and Mary Kay

14. Poster Contest: Area students were encouraged to design an Auto Show poster for display.

15. Charities / Students: a number of groups benefit from the Auto Show: -Summit Education Resources -Variety Club -Childrenis Hospital -High School Automotive Technology Students