Pub. 1 2019-20 Issue 2

Issue 1 2020 25 WVADA T he popular and well-attend- ed 2020 West Virginia Inter- national Auto Show, which is owned by the West Virginia Automobile Dealers Associ- ation, was held Jan. 17-19, 2020, at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Cen- ter. The show was first held 26 years ago, and this was the second time the show has been held after the center was reno- vated and renamed. This year’s show was produced by Mo- tor Trend Auto Shows, which is the larg- est auto show producer in the country. The presenting sponsor was Huntington National Bank. Additional sponsor sup- port was provided by HD Media, United States Warranty Corp., and Vacation Vil- lage Resorts and Affiliates. The auto expo included more than 300 cars, trucks, sport utility vehicles, luxu- ry rides, crossovers and accessories in a relaxed, nonselling environment that included raceway carpet in crisp black with white stripes at the edge and dou- ble yellow stripes down the middle. The auto expo always gives potential buyers and car lovers a chance to see what the industry is offering by placing all the newest options under one roof. According to Richard Stephens, who is the owner of Stephens Auto Center in Danville and co-chair of the West Virgin- ia Auto Show Committee, nothing on the internet can replace the opportunity to see physical examples of the most ad- vanced vehicles available in person. He should know; he has been involved with the show since its first year. He pointed out that if attendees are interested in buying something they saw at the show, they can then go to their hometown dealer or any nearby dealerships and buy what they saw. Stephens also said he loves seeing people react to the cars. It gives him the chance to talk to them and ask them what they would like to see at the show in the future. For someone who is already shopping for a car and who has done the necessary online research, the auto show offers a great opportunity to take an important additional step in the selection process. Stephen’s committee co-chair, Wally Thornhill, has also been involvedwith the show since its first year. Thornhill owns the Thornhill Automotive Group and reminisced about the early days when he and his staff would put up their dis- plays by themselves. He marvels at how the show has evolved and progressed over the years. Thornhill was sched- uled to travel to Las Vegas in February to be honored as one of 50 candidates for the Time Dealer of the Year Award. The award is an indication of Thornhill’s success in the dealership business, but it also shows his dedication to community service throughout the years. Jared Wyrick, president of the West Vir- ginia Automobile Dealers Association, thought people particularly enjoyed the following 2020 offerings: • Ford Mustang Shelby, Jeep Gladiator, Toyota Supra, Ram 2500, Ford Explorer and Toyota Highlander. • Luxury vehicle models such as the big three (BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Lex- us) and other high-end brands such as Audi, Cadillac, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lin- coln, and Volvo. • A Motorcycle and Powersports Pavil- ion that had selections such as motor- cycles, ATVs, four-wheelers and UTVs, which are also called MOHUVs or side by sides. • The latest pre-production models, electric vehicles, and information and displays from local car clubs. • A Kids’ Test Drive area so children who aren’t licensed to drive can check out a battery-powered car. From 4-8 p.m. Friday, the show had an event called Friday Night Flights and Lights. “Flights” was a reference to the football and beer; “Lights” was a refer- ence to dimming the lights in the con- vention center to show off the automo- bile headlights. Attendees were charged $25 per person (instead of the usual $12 fee for adults) for a wristband that gave them admission to the show, its activi- ties, and beer from five breweries paired with exotic food such as venison and other local game prepared by the cen- ter’s chefs. Attendees could enjoy the food and beer while looking at displays. The participating pubs were: • Big Timber Brewing Co. (Elkins, West Virginia) • Country Boy Brewing (headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky) • Greenbrier Valley Brewing Company (Maxwelton, West Virginia) • Mountain State Brewing Co. (Thomas, West Virginia) WVADA International Auto Expo