American carmakers attract crowds

Associated Press

DETROIT

Sharp designs with pizazz, power and elegance helped pull in crowds during the public opening Saturday of the North American International Auto Show, with U.S automakers doing their best to impress consumers looking for signs of the industry’s recovery.

Thousands of people from around the world filed from exhibit to exhibit inside the sprawling Cobo Center in Detroit. They perused the newest models from General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler, as well as top competition from Europe and Asia.

“The last two years, people would come and look. But now, they are sitting in the vehicles and asking questions,” said 43-year-old Sherry Fedewa, a manager in an auto-parts company.

New-car and truck sales came in last year at 11.6 million, up 11 percent from 2009. December sales rose to 1.14 million, an 11 percent leap from a year earlier.

The annual auto show often gives consumers and car enthusiasts their first close look at the new vehicles, engine upgrades and gadgets coming off the assembly line each year. Amid renewed optimism in the American auto industry, organizers expect higher attendance than last year’s 714,000 visitors — and auto companies worked to convince them that the industry and region were recovering.

GM’s corner appeared to be drawing the biggest crowds Saturday afternoon, with dozens of people circling the company’s sport- utility vehicles and sportier models. But the latest models from Ford and Chrysler also garnered interest.