With a new date and greater OEM participation than ever before, there were high expectations for this year’s Edmonton Motor Show. In talking with show manager Bob Vilas, however it seems that those expectations were more than met. “We had record attendance,” he says, “with 80,125 visitors, plus 1,100 for the gala preview. On Saturday we had a 30 minute lineup to buy a ticket and it lasted for five and a half hours.”
Vilas noted that due to the dates of this year’s event (April 18-21), two of the main attractions, the 2014 Jeep Cherokee and the Ford Atlas Concept, were both shipped straight from the New York International Auto Show. “As the only Canadian show to get [the Atlas], it sends a clear message that Edmonton is truck country.” And, along with the 2014 Toyota Tundra (also making its Canadian premiere) these new offerings drew plenty of attention.
Vilas says that because there are a lot of companies in the Edmonton area that service the oil fields, commercial and work trucks are also popular attractions at the show and Ram’s new Heavy Duty 3500 and Isuzu’s cab-forward trucks were also high points. In fact, Vilas says that the commercial aspect is becoming an ever larger part of the show, to the point that next year, the show is planning to expand the section to cover 35,000 sq.ft.
He also said that the aftermarket section was a big success. “We had the best participation from all dealers, which means they do realize the financial potential that accessories bring to the business. We had 58,000 sq.ft. and next year that will expand to 110,000 sq.ft.”
The collector car auction was also a popular attraction, drawing $100,000 plus individual entries (including a 1964 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray that sold for $129,000) among the 125 cars. Vilas says that this year, the auction saw 85 per cent of vehicles sold. “The collector car auction is popular because of the nostalgia but also because of the thrill to put in the bid to win that car. We have oil money walking around in Wrangler jeans,” he said “and they don’t mind stepping up to the plate if something catches their eye.”
