Thoughts on the State of the Import Scene

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Thoughts on the State of the Import Scene... Blog By Jim Pan on Tuner Galleria

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Thoughts on the State of the Import Scene...

Posted: 11/7/2010



I recently decided to write again and have chosen to blog here on the TUNER GALLERIA site as my sounding board. For those that have really known me, writing has always been a secret passion of mine. Several years ago, I wrote for Modified Luxury & Exotics in my own editorial column. My stint as a contributing editor for MLE lasted about 16 months before the obligations of my businesses just didn't allow much free time anymore. While free time is still scarce these days, I will try to blog here on a regular basis. Having just returned from SEMA 2010, here are some of my random thoughts:

As the automotive aftermarket industry gathers once again to demonstrate the latest in performance parts, accessories, wheels and tires, etc., the question remains...what fuels this multi-billion dollar industry in times of dramatically reduced discretionary income and high unemployment rates? While financial analysts and experts state that we as a country have dug out of the recession several months ago, clearly this is not felt on Main Street, USA. Certain pockets of the country like Detroit, New Orleans, and even "Sin City" itself, Las Vegas face continued troubled times. The credit crunch, low consumer confidence and overall poor public sentiment create a terrible backdrop for an industry based solely on wants, and not needs.

The love and passion for cars uniquely transcend all barriers...cultural, racial, age, sex, and economics. Luckily for those of us in the industry, it also transcends rationality as consumers can not fight the urge to modify their rides despite these difficult times. The automotive aftermarket is an industry like many others facing attrition. Only those companies and organizations that operate efficiently and remain ahead of the curve will survive.

Walking through SEMA, it is clear that the state of our economy here in the US still lags. In the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, many perennial exhibitors are still missing, including the likes of Yokohama Tire, Dunlop Tire, and Toyo Tire, while other larger booths in the past like Lexani/Asanti were scaled back. Replacing these booths to some extent were manufacturers from China. Many suggest that the Chinese market will surpass the United States as the top new vehicle consuming country by 2015.

If today's import car scene is the hot rod scene of yesterday, the automotive aftermarket industry is under barrage and in trouble. Today the youth scene is so fragmented and the attention span of its audience shorter than ever before. In an age dominated by social media, what chance does the car scene have for survival? Today's youth must have an iPhone or a smart phone with texting and internet surfing capability, laptops or iPads, wireless internet access, various video game consoles, etc. The money that might have been spent on a car payment or on car modifications is instead reallocated to social media and other means of connectivity. For those of us that grew up immersed in the car culture, we need to work together and figure out a solution of how to bridge the gap.

What are your thoughts?