SEMA News—July 2011
Restyling & Car Care Accessories New Products
Personalization and Protection for an Evolving Market
Whether at the dealerships or through independent specialty-equipment installers, car and truck personalization allows consumers to tailor their vehicles to their unique requirements. While market forces—both intrinsic and external—have wrought changes over the past few years, consumers have never ceased to customize and care for their vehicles.
As with other market segments, restyling customers have increasingly turned to the Internet to research available products and the companies that provide installation services. This surge in electronic communications provides unprecedented opportunities, so restylers have joined other specialty-equipment businesses in educating themselves about website design and tracking, social media, smartphone technology and other emergent marketing channels.
In the pages that follow, we present a comprehensive sampling of the car care and restyling products that were introduced at the 2010 SEMA Show. The breadth of these innovative offerings showcases the strength of the industry.
We’ve also included comments about where the market has been and where it is going from some of the leading voices in the restyling segment. While they touch on myriad industry trends and opportunities, the thread that unites them is their passion for commerce and their optimism about what lies ahead.
| View More than 100 Restyling & Care Care New Products and Expert Comments from the 2010 SEMA Show on PDF. |
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AAC Car Cover Inc.
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The ACS SS9 modular hood, manufactured in ACS’s validated RTM process, features a domed cowl higher than the original and available with a choice of three interchangeable hood inserts to change the look of your SS9 hood in minutes. Includes a window, an extractor and a carbon insert. |
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3M
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This kit is a brushed stainless dress up kit that |
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Removes dirt nibs faster and easier, reducing the |
 Auto Tecknic Mercedes Benz W204 C Class Grille 626/275-4155 www.autotecknic.com PN: MB-0168 AutoTecknic matte black grille. Aggressive design and precise fitment for the Mercedes-Benz W204 C Class. |
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Our protective custom car covers are for any type of vehicle, including cars, motorcycles, RVs, buses, boats and small aircraft. We also offer custom car cover designs that display a fun variety of animal shapes or other distinctive features and 3-D accessories.
ACS Composite-Advanced 
The 3M Accuspray system combines a high-performance TTVLP primer spray gun with an innovative replaceable atomizing head. It delivers a flatter, smoother finish; reduces overspray; cuts masking, sanding and cleaning time; improves productivity; and lowers primer and solvent consumption
Stainless Showworks Inc. 
3M
 The restyling industry is facing a rapidly changing marketplace due to powerful factors: globalization, eCommerce, rising fuel costs, inflation and general unpredictability in today’s world. The new economic paradigm requires that business owners adapt quickly to change and be open to opportunities.
Function over fashion is the most significant trend in the restyling segment. Products with true functionality have vastly outpaced counterparts that are only visual in nature. Quite simply, consumer discretionary income is tighter than ever, and products that combine function and fashion are doing best. Consumers are looking for items that provide comfort, safety and performance along with style. Products with these key attributes coupled with continual innovation and improvement will drive increased demand. That being said, the cost of fuel is the throttle on the entire economy and affects everything from tomatoes to tonneau covers. Price any item in the local grocery, and you’ll see the uptick; the increases are small but will be painful over time. Without a real focus on U.S. energy policy, fuel costs will have a major impact on the entire economy. Our industry will be no exception.
—Jason Braun |
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ACS’s T3 Bumper is a replacement front fascia |
Specter’s GTZ Camaro Hood is a replacement heat extractor hood that not only has an aggressive look, but also releases high-pressure air and heat from the engine bay while negating front-end lift. |
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This mirrored polished dress-up kit requires the radiator cover extensions and requires the gas shock hood lift. |
A premium formulation with specialized cleaning and deodorizing agents that safely cleans and freshens automotive leather upholstery and prepares the hide for nourishing preservative treatments. |
ACS Composite-Advanced 
ACS Composite-Advanced Composite Specialties 
Stainless Showworks Inc. 
Autoglym
| View More than 100 Restyling & Care Care New Products and Expert Comments from the 2010 SEMA Show on PDF. |
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C6 Leather Door Sill Enhancer is constructed of quality genuine leather. Official GM licensed embroidered logo. Installation with 3M VHB tape. Accents leather interior. |
Contains a complex blend of surface-active ingredients to quickly and safely deep clean synthetic fabric seat upholstery, trim, carpets and roof linings. |
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Fully embroidered back design. Embroidered Lethal Threat Motor Gear pocket logo. Lethal Threat sticker hang tag. Made in the U.S.A. We can customize it. |
Cleanses and revives unpainted molded bumpers, fenders, grilles, mirror casings, door handles, tire walls and mud flaps. It will completely restore the blackest of blacks. |
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The IWCGI/90 is a brand-new CCI Grille Overlay for the ’11 GMC Sierra HD. CCI Grille Overlays are known for their quick-fit installation and quality finish. All CCI Grille Overlays come with a limited lifetime warranty. |
Licensed collegiate logos on universal all-weather mat made from recycled products. Manufactured in the U.S.A. Other logo art available. Artwork on driver’s and passenger’s sides. |
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Altec Products Inc. 
Autoglym 
Lethal Threat Designs 
Autoglym 
Coast to Coast International CCI Grille Overlay 
Auto Mats Accessories Inc. Collegiate Logo All Weather Mat |
When the banks did their correction to lending policies in 2008–2009, it left consumers hungry for amenities, such as electronics and leather. After the realignment, some car buyers couldn’t get approved for higher-priced vehicles. Nicer amenities became a natural addition for these types of buyers. Leather continues to be at the top of the most-requested products for interiors. Consumers hunger for color selections other than what the factory offers. They’re also interested in navigation, backup-assist products and hands-free management systems. The most significant products for our company continue to be sunroofs, but we’ve also added graphics and a clear bra product to our lines. Retro-looking cars lend themselves to racing stripes more now than ever before. The vehicle mix has also changed. In past years, dealerships sold five new cars for every one used car; now the ratio has changed to one used for every one new. For that reason, restylers selling to car dealerships should target the pre-owned lots.
—Diana Braschler |
Our world is becoming more complicated, and emerging technologies are playing an increasing role. Restylers should embrace technology. What you’ve been doing for the past 25 years won’t guarantee you a future, so be willing to learn technology integration.
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Braille INTENSITY 480R Lithium Carbon Fiber 10-lb. Group 48 Performance Battery. SealedSafe race-winning technology. Saves up to 50 lbs. from the vehicle. Made in the U.S.A. |
Alabama metal license plate frame. More than 400 different colleges are available in college colors. |
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Skull Trailer Hitch Cover. Stainless steel with a lifetime warranty. |
 Avery’s Floor Mats Select Touring StainResist Carpeted Floor Mats 800/541-7397 www.averysfloormats.com PN: 4pc car set Select touring floor mats treated with StainResist Technology; 28-oz. densely-woven nylon yarn. Action Back natural rubber backing. Eight colors with serged binding. Made in the U.S.A. |
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Braille Battery 
Au-tomotive Gold Inc. 
Au-tomotive Gold Inc. 
