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Auto Show Season Opens This Month In LA

DETROIT (WWJ) - Now that car and truck sales are picking up, auto companies are hoping that the upcoming auto show season will give those sales a push.

That season starts on November 16th, with the beginning of two days of press previews for the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Getting Ready for the LA Auto Show

Auto Show Season Getting Underway

Audio: Jeff Gilbert's Car Chronicles reports on the LA Auto Show

"We're gonna have fifty vehicle debuts and twenty world debuts," said LA Auto Show spokesman Brendan Flynn.  It's gonna be no shortage of innovative and exciting new products across the whole range."

Ford is planning to use the LA show for three world premiers.  GM will have two.

- PHOTOS FROM THE 2010 LA AUTO SHOW -

Those companies aren't saying much about their new products, but Mazda will show a compact crossover, Hyundai will have its update Azera big car, and Porsche is expected to show an updated sports car.

BMW, meanwhile will have several electric concept vehicles.

The LA show generally puts a focus on sports cars and environmentally friendly vehicles.

"Of the fifty vehicle debuts, fully half of them are performance and luxury debuts.  At the same time, we have more vehicles that get forty miles per gallon," said Flynn

One centerpiece of the LA Auto Show is the "Green Car of the Year."  This year's five finalists include the 2012 Ford Focus Electric, 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas, 2012 Mitsubishi i, 2012 Toyota Prius v and 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI.  Last year's winner was the Chevy Volt.

For many years, the Los Angeles Auto Show was immediately before the North American International Auto Show, and missed getting major vehicle introductions as car companies didn't want to split their efforts between two shows.

The LA show gained prominence a few years ago when organizers moved it ahead a few weeks, separating it from the show here in Detroit.

Flynn says that's what's attracted more vehicle debuts, which, in turn, has attracted more members of the media to cover those vehicle debuts.

"Now that manufactures can finally take advantage of this market -- and previously they couldn't because of the overlap with Detroit.  What we've heard from the manufacturers is they like LA as an option."

Traveling to LA? Get complete show information at this link.

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