SEMA 2008 –the end of the world as we know it?

Wilson Everard We first went to SEMA (the Specialist Equipment Manufacturers Association) show in Las Vegas in 2006 with client Bob Jane T-Marts.
Creative Director Justin Groves and I hired a Hertz Shelby Mustang to really get into the spirit of the event.
Every hot-rodder, tyre and wheel manufacturer and factory tuner was there and the theme was appropriately ‘American Muscle’.
This year’s show in November was as big or bigger with businesses committed to display or attend prior to the September financial meltdown.
The mood of the meeting was ‘let’s enjoy ourselves because we may not be here next year’.
As Ford showed off its new Flex people mover –like a sliced, diced and chopped Range Rover, Chrysler basked in its new Challenger retro sportster being adopted and adapted by almost every tuner and hot-rodder, and GM previewed its new Aussie-fettled Camaro and its new Pontic G8 (Commodore SS), the boss cockeys of all three manufacturers flew their private jets to Washington to beg for government assistance.
SEMA was like the last big party before the adults put all the toys away.
The upside was an Aussie company, Disc Brakes Australia from down the road in Oakleigh, Victoria.
Great display with a Holden Ute –they’ve been at SEMA for ten years and Sales and Marketing Director Martin Peart is optimistic having just opened a warehouse in Detroit despite the doom and gloom merchants.
Check them out at www.dba.com.au
And this year we hired a Dodge Challenger R/T with a big Hemi up front!