2006 SEMA Show by TCC Team (10/30/2006)
All our coverage from the Las Vegas aftermarket extravaganza.

by Rex Roy

2006 SEMA Show  |  

Gear heads know about it. Industry insiders know about it. Over 100,000 people attend the annual Las Vegas conference known as SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association convention. But what is this four-day event?

SEMA is the trade group representing the aftermarket, a $34 billion segment of the US economy. The aftermarket is a broad definition that includes everything from fuzzy dice and rubber floor mats to tires and wheels, to replacement body panels, windshield wipers, and oil pumps.

Since only a few of our valued readers are dying to know what's new in shop solvents or suspension bushings, our multi-part SEMA 2006 coverage will focus on all that's fun and cool. Let's start by looking at the show from a distance. What strikes you immediately is the immense size of this gathering. Looked at from the platform of the new Las Vegas monorail, it's clear that the show begins in what would normally be the Las Vegas Convention Center's parking lot.

2006 SEMA Show  |  

The theme of this year's show was American Muscle, and was strongly supported by General Motors, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler. Each company displayed vehicles from their own collections that played to the theme, with Ford and Chrysler truly showing their best wares. Important Ford Mustangs and Dodge Challengers were figuratively everywhere, with perfectly restored stock models sharing space with vintage racers, modified versions of current production models (Mustangs), and future models (Challengers). This is not to say that imports weren't represented. They were, as they constitute a significant portion of the show thanks to the popularity and profitability of the Tuner Market (think "The Fast and The Furious").