By SEMA News Editors
A trend on the SEMA Show floor this year is brighter colors, a move away from the more recent "monochroming" of American vehicles. See this specific build in the SEMA FutureTech Studio in Central Hall.
The 2024 SEMA Show, which continues today through Friday, November 8, had a stellar opening day yesterday with more than 2,400 brands and an estimated 150,000 attendees on the expansive Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) floor and surrounding outdoor areas, which are teeming with the latest vehicles, and automotive innovations and technology. Included among the countless product and vehicle unveilings on SEMA Show Day 2 was the continuation of SEMA Live, the new-for-2024 program providing industry fans and enthusiasts an inside look at the aftermarket's exclusive trade-only event. The industry is clearly hungry for this behind-the-scenes content, with the Day 1 stream coming in at nearly 55,000 views (watch the Day 1 live stream here and the Day 2 live stream here and below).
During the Wednesday SEMA Live program, viewers saw Marcy Yanus, SEMA senior director of member engagement, sharing details on the top-notch vehicles in the combined SEMA Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) and Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) display (Booth #23295 in Central Hall).
On the HRIA side of the display is a custom '32 Ford Roadster built by Chris Clark. This vehicle was so meticulously put together that it's also in the running for the 2024 SEMA Battle of the Builders competition. When asked how it felt to hear his car would be on the SEMA Show floor, Clark told SEMA Live host JC Fernando, "I was so honored. This is my first time at SEMA, and getting to be in this booth and also compete in the Battle of the Builders is amazing." (Editor's note: Clark's vehicle was among the 2024 SEMA Battle of the Builders presented by Mothers Top 40. Follow along this week!)
Toyo Treadpass, a longtime favorite destination for SEMA Showgoers, premiered 26 unique vehicles, including this stunning bright red Mercedes convertible.
In addition, Dave Trask spoke about the '75 Chevrolet Nomad, which is a build that's 20 years in the making. "[This vehicle] has been a family project for about 20 years. In fact, we bought it before Riley was even born," he said, referring to his daughter, head of Riley's Rebuilds, a company founded by now 17-year-old Riley Schlick. "So we had seven high school girls who worked on the build for two days a week for the past four months." But don't miss the trunk of this build, which holds a special surprise: a fuel injection unit display straight from the experimental division of GM.
Among the lineup of ARMO vehicles is a '06 Mclaren-Mercedes, which was flown into the SEMA Show floor from the United Kingdom. Produced by Automotive LTD and MSO Special Operations Surrey, Yanus shared that the builder first ran into concerns with the owner of the car, so they purchased the vehicle themselves just to get it in their hands and to the SEMA Show. Attendees can see this one-of-a-kind burnt orange build with carbon fiber accents in the HRIA/ARMO booth.
Also on Wednesday's SEMA Live, MagnaFlow Group and industry legend Chip Foose took the opportunity to announce a new partnership: the introduction of Foose Performance products.
"It's an honor and pleasure [to announce this partnership with MagnaFlow]. I've been working with MagnaFlow for more than 20 years now, and they're always expanding [their offerings]. I'm proud to say we're going to be joining forces, and I will be developing more products with them. We're not going to tell you what they are yet because we want you to be surprised when we do release these."
See this '22 Jeep Gladiator by Ernie's Custom Shop in the TORA Feature Vehicle Trail located on the outside walkway between the North and West Hall of the LVCC.
A new-for-2024 activation is the SEMA Truck & Off-Road Alliance (TORA) Feature Vehicle Trail, with eight innovative builds located on the outside walkway between the North and West Hall of the LVCC. You can literally see the builders' passion and skills in these meticulous builds, which highlight the products, trends, business ideas and opportunities in the truck and off-road market.
See these vehicles on the 2024 TORA Feature Vehicles:
- Billet Racing, '24 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD
- Custom FN Customs, '93 Mitsubishi Delica
- Ernie's Custom Shop, '22 Jeep Gladiator
- ICON Vehicle Dynamics, '22 Toyota Tundra
- LGE-CTS Motorsports, '24 INEOS Grenadier
- North Speed and Restoration, '76 Chevrolet K30
- Rebel Off-Road, '24 Jeep Gladiator
- Rebel Off-Road, '21 Jeep Wrangler Two-Door Stretched
The 2024 SEMA Media Panel included (left to right) moderator Dan Neil, The Wall Street Journal, Jamie Butters of Automotive News, Sam Abuelsamid of Forbes and Mark Vaughn of AutoWeek.
The 2024 SEMA Media Panel on the SEMA Central Stage covered "The Rise of Used Car Sales and Vehicle Retention" and the implications for automakers and the aftermarket. It was a compelling discussion among moderator Dan Neil (Pulitzer Prize-winning automotive critic and columnist for The Wall Street Journal) and panelists Jamie Butters (Automotive News), Sam Abuelsamid (Forbes) and Mark Vaughn (AutoWeek).
Witness automotive history as the 2024 SEMA Show continues in the Las Vegas Convention Center through Friday, November 8. Find dozens of events and sessions that work best for your SEMA Show Week on the SEMA Show planner and SEMA Show app. For more information, visit semashow.com.