GM focused on design at NAIAS

General Motors Corp. is rebuilding from scratch
its massive exhibit for the North American International Auto Show in
Detroit in an effort to highlight its new emphasis on stylish vehicle
designs.

GM says the auto show display will complement its stylish new vehicle designs and showcase each of its eight brands.

The
120,000-square-foot display at Cobo Center will be about the same size
as in past years, but will be sectioned off from its competitors with
its own walls and ceilings — creating a show-within-a-show feeling. A
bejeweled GM corporate logo and 26-foot-tall stainless steel ribbon
will greet visitors to the exhibit’s entrance, where they will be
funneled into 10 separate display areas: one for the overall company,
one highlighting the company’s corporate strategy and one for each of
GM’s eight brands.

"The message we’re trying to build is that GM
is a design-driven organization," said Teckla Rhoads, GM director of
industrial design and North American design operations. "And auto shows
are the perfect venues to highlight the design story."

Each section of the GM display will feature special lighting and effects to highlight the characteristics GM wants consumers to associate with its brands. The
Buick display, for example, aims to convey comfort and luxury with an
exhibit built from wood, polished stone tile and gossamer fabric black
walls. The 2007 Cadillac Escalade will sit on a stage made with
frosted glass and stainless steel that features running footage of the
vehicles in the backdrop, to convey cutting-edge style.

GM will
feature five concept vehicles at the core of the setup, as well as an
exhibit on the future of vehicle propulsion technology.

"What we’re trying to go for is the one-company approach," said Timothy Peters, GM assistant director of auto shows.

Among GM’s debuts at the auto show will be a redesigned 2008 Chevrolet Malibu and a new Cadillac CTS. GM has been working hard to sell its designs, an area where it has fallen flat in the past. This
year may be the first time GM can make a credible case for design
leadership, said Erich Merkle, an auto analyst with Grand Rapids-based
IRN Inc.

"They wouldn’t be able to pull this off showing things
like current Malibu or the Grand Am," he said. "GM has come a long way
in terms of their product design and the new products coming out are
very attractive."

The GM display will be in the northwest corner
of Cobo Center and will no longer be adjacent to the Ford Motor Co.
space, auto show organizers said Wednesday. Ford overhauled its display last year, building it around the emblematic Blue Oval logo. Also
new this year: Chinese automaker Changfeng will have a display space in
the lower Michigan Hall area. It will be the first time a Chinese
carmaker has had a display on the show floor. Volkswagen gave up its space in Michigan Hall and will be on only one floor this year instead of split between two sites.

SOURCE Detroit News