New York Auto Show 2011

Officially, the press days of the New York auto show start on Wednesday with the opening breakfast at Javits. But manufacturers are so pumped about their new products, that introductions start tomorrow at 9 a.m.

The unveilings kick off with an introduction to the Beetle. That's not the old Beetle, or the New Beetle, but the new New Beetle, which will just be called The Beetle. I'm excited to see it. We've seen the profile from the side. It looks longer than the New Beetle so I assume it will have more space inside and greater dimension. But more on that tomorrow.

On Tuesday, the NADA holds their conference with some looks at the U.S. economy as it relates to the automotive world. We'll hear what is happening with market share among the competing companies and the competing segments. Tuesday evening there are about 10 press conference/gatherings all around the same time. Suzuki, Nissan, Audi, Lexus, Porsche and Ford all have news to share.

Wednesday, the press conferences start and will continue into Thursday. Looking forward to this show because despite how the industry keeps getting slammed, it is a business that is always inventing and changing and trying new things. And it doesn't get much credit for the innovation. It gets a lot of criticism, much of it deserved, but much of it undeserved.