As the West Virginia Auto Show gets set to open this Friday at the Charleston Civic Center, local car dealers are hoping the event and the new lines of 2016 vehicles will boost sales in Charleston and around the state.
Nationally, automotive sales hit an all-time high in 2015 with an estimated 17.47 million vehicles sold across the country, a 5.7 percent increase from 2014.
Those sales numbers highlight a huge resurgence from the doldrums of 2009 when U.S. dealers only sold 10.4 million vehicles, but in West Virginia automotive sales have not bounced back as quickly as other parts of the country.
"The rest of the country has a much more diverse industry base than we do. It's just not there with the high-paying jobs," said Ruth Lemmon, the president of the West Virginia Automobile and Truck Dealers Association. "I think overall, we are very happy with 2015, when you look at the big picture."
In 2015, West Virginia dealerships sold an estimated 73,089 vehicles. While that was a 1.5 percent increase over 2014, local dealers say more needs to be done in the coming year to ensure continued growth.
"As a dealer, we held our own. We had a good year, but there is always room for improvement," said Jeremy Nelson, a general manager with Smith Company Motor Cars in Charleston. "I think 2016 will prove to be tough year locally."
Richard Stephens, the owner of Stephens Auto Center in Danville, said his business did relatively well in 2015, but he expected the coming year to be a little tighter.
"I am out here on Corridor G, and with the impact on jobs that we have had, it has been particularly challenging," said Stephens, who is supplying the Chrysler vehicles for this years auto show. "I feel very fortunate because this year wasn't much different than last year in sales. We were down in some but up in others. It pretty much balanced out."
Both automotive dealers said they expect the West Virginia Auto Show, which is in its 18th year, to pique people's interest and possibly boost sales in the short term.
"It seems to add a small boost to our winter sales, and we can use every boost we can get," Nelson said.
But representatives for the auto show, which will run from Friday through Sunday, say the event isn't just about educating possible buyers.
DeeDee Taft, a spokewoman for the event, said the vast majority of the people who attend the show are there to simply enjoy the experience and take in the newest automotive creations being offered by 27 different companies.
"The best thing about this show, is that it's all the manufacturers under one roof," Taft said. "It's a non-selling environment. It's a great place to do your research if you're in the market, or you can just come and have fun."
More than a century after the auto industry took off in the United States, Taft said people's fascination has yet to wane.
"The love affair with the car isn't going away," Taft said.
The organizers of the event expect people from all over to flock to the Civic Center.
"Even though this is a regional show, we draw people from Wheeling, Pittsburgh and Columbus," Lemmon said. "It's not just Charleston that benefits from this."
And as in years past, a large portion of the show will be focused on the vehicles' utility, luxury features, towing capacity and horsepower.
Those in attendance will be able to inspect the newest vehicles from GM, Subaru, Jeep, Honda, Acura, Mitsubishi, BMW and many more. They will also be able to get in line to test drive the latest Ford and Toyota models, including the Explorer, Focus, Highlander and Camry.
Less-traditional automotive features will also be on display though, including a variety of innovative fuel systems.
Many of the largest manufacturers will be presenting their hybrid, electric fuel vehicles, including the Chevrolet Volt, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and the Ford CMAX Energi, and in a first for the show, Toyota will be promoting its hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, the Mirai.
"It's not just electric. It's not just gas. It's not just diesel," Taft said. "The future is going to be multiple options for fuel."
Other manufacturers will be eagerly displaying the technology inside the cab, instead of what's under the hood.
Many of the vehicles at this years show, Taft said, will include the latest cell phone connection technology. She said the ability of drivers to sync their cell phones to their car has become a must in the past decade.
"Gone are the days when it was all about performance and what color it comes in," Taft said.
While cars have given people the ability to make calls and play music from their phones for years, Taft said this year's lineups are the first cars to allow drivers to see their phone screen on the vehicle's dashboard, through Apple CarPlay and the Android Auto.
With the wide array of offerings at this years show, Stephens believes everyone will be able to find something to enjoy.
"This is the one big event each year to put our industry out there and put our best foot forward so to speak," he said.
Reach Andrew Brown at andrew.brown@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-4814, or follow @Andy_Ed_Brown on Twitter.