Detroit still makes showing at annual auto show despite financial woes.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 19, 2008) REUTERS -
Amid the turmoil in the automobile industry, the mood at the 2008
Los Angeles Auto Show is understandably somber. No more so than at the display
for General Motors, where the auto giant made the decision against doing any
press or sending executives to the show, who instead traveled to Washington
where they spent their second straight day on Capitol Hill pleading for $25
billion in government aid.

Karl Brauer, of the online auto site Edmunds.com, explained the
automakers difficult position.

"Well, it is kind of the lesser of multiple evils," Brauer
told Reuters. "If GM was at the auto show doing a press conference they
would be getting hammered about what is going on in Washington and whether
they think they are going to get the bailout funds. But, by not being here
they don't get the ability to focus the whole media on their
products."

During the hearings in Washington, Detroit has come under criticism for
its failure to produce energy efficient cars. Many argue that domestic
automakers reliance on building gas-guzzling SUV's as the reason that they now
face bankruptcy without a federal bailout.
General Motors though spent Wednesday (November 19, 2008) showcasing its
electric vehicle, the Chevy Volt.

"This is a big part of it," explained Bob Boniface, director
of design for the Chevy Volt, which is set to go on sale in 2010. "You
see all the discussions in DC now about domestic auto having to build relevant
products and energy diversity with advance battery technology. Well, this is
the car that is going to deliver on that."

The question is whether the world's largest automaker will survive long
enough to see that happen.

While Chrysler was following GM's lead in keeping a low profile at the
show, Ford was busy unveiling several new model designs.

"Thankfully, Ford has a number of items going on at the LA show
that balances nicely. They do have the new Mustang coming out, which is a
powerful performance car and it has a classic name that everyone is going to
like. But, they also have multiple hybrid products coming out, they have the
Fusion and the Milan hybrid's debut at this show."

While the historic sales downturn has been global, the foreign carmakers
have fared better and that was evident as they took on a larger presence at
the show's preview days.
"Companies like Honda a
nd Toyota have been doing this for years
and we are still 2 years away on the Volt," said Brauer. "So, the
bottom line is that they are still ramping up trying to get into this market
place. While most of the import manufactures, certainly the Japanese
manufacturers have already been in and are coming out with second generation
cars that are hybrid vehicles."

The Los Angeles Auto Show opens to the public on Friday (November 21,
2008).