Carpet Replaces Wood, Tile, at Detroit Auto Show

Detroit, MI, Jan. 12, 2009--At the General Motors display on the main floor of the Detroit auto show, carpeting has replaced the more lavish wood and tile flooring the automaker usually uses to cover the 121,000 square feet of display space where it shows off its newest cars and trucks.

Cost-saving measures like that have shaved millions of dollars off GM’s budget for the show, said Timothy Peters, GM’s assistant director of global auto shows.

“This is a significant saving,” said Peters, who declined to say how much money GM is spending on its displays and vehicle unveilings.

“The Detroit auto show is the single largest auto show in the world, and we expect to get over 700,000 consumers here in the next few weeks, so to say it’s a significant investment for us is the best way to characterize it.”

The Detroit show is the most important event in the auto industry's yearly calendar, but with sales in a free-fall and the Big Three U.S. auto manufacturers desperately trying to avoid collapse, automakers are keen to show they have what it takes to survive the recession.

That starts with showing they’re not wasting taxpayers’ money.