2007 Model Vehicles on Display Starting Friday

Keith McCord Reporting Looking for a new vehicle but don't want to wander through a snowy dealership parking lot? Then it's time for the 2007 Utah International Auto Expo at South Towne Expo. The show opens, tomorrow.

Marty Beecham, Motor Trend Auto Shows Inc.: "Some people think it's organized chaos. Sometimes it's really chaos, and not very organized."

Several days before the auto show begins, it's a mad-house of activity inside the South Towne Expo Center. Plastic sheeting covers the floor to protect the carpet, as forklifts rumble back and forth. Dozens of workers break open crates, setting up displays. The folks at Motor Trend, will do this about 24 times this year at various shows around the country.

Marty Beecham, Motor Trend Auto Shows Inc.: "We go from shows that are 60,000 square feet up to 750,000 square feet. This show is about in the middle 270,000 square feet of space. So this is a mid sized show for us."

Mid-sized, but with plenty to see. More than 400 vehicles from 32 manufacturers.

Marty Beecham: "All the makes and models. And really the technology that the manufacturers are bringing to the table now is hybrid energy, and the hybrids and the safety are really the things that the manufacturers are looking for."

These car shows are very important to the manufacturers because 75% of the people who visit the car show say they intend to buy a car within the next 3 years!"

The Utah International Auto Expo is a non-selling show--you can't order or purchase a vehicle here, but you can sit in the seats, kick the tires and dream all you want! And it's all indoors!

This show, traditionally a little but of bad weather, folks here will come out. Actually nice weather in this market hurts us more than bad weather.

Shouldn't be a problem this year! The show opens to the public at 10:00 tomorrow morning. It runs through Monday until 8:00 PM.

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