The Detroit Auto Show in January was once the place to see all the hot cars for the next model year but things are changing. This year three marquee brands, Land Rover, Ferrari and Rolls-Royce have opted out of the 2009 Detroit Auto Show in January. Why the change? Partly it may be because these brands don’t sell a lot of cars in the Midwest. While the show offers a chance to impress journalists from around the world, they can probably pick up many of those same journalists at the Los Angeles show or in Europe. Not that Los Angeles is immune either. It is said that the L.A. show will have nearly 20% fewer exhibitors than it did last year. Exhibits are also less lavish and automakers are cutting back on the perks they offer for dealers as well as for those in the automotive media industry such as dinners, parties and sometimes hotel rooms for the shows. The Chicago Auto Show will also shrink in size by 15,000 square feet for its 2009 show and there are cutbacks planned for the New York show as well.

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