Key Things to Know About the Detroit Auto Show

The White House announcement on January 9th of the President’s visit hinted he may make other stops in Detroit. “Having not just the vehicles themselves, but all of the advanced technologies that are going to shape the future of our industry”.

The Obama administration agreed to prop up the automakers – provided they were steered through bankruptcy to restructure their operations – even though it was not popular nationwide.

The last president to visit the auto show was Bill Clinton in 1999.

A White House spokesman told the Detroit Free Press that Obama would tour the show on Wednesday, Jan. 20.

Show officials will work with the Secret Service on security measures for the president’s visit.

“In exchange for help, we demanded responsibility”, Obama said. It marked his first presidential visit to Motown. “But it’s all feasible”. We’ve cut the Detroit-area unemployment rate by more than half. What do you think the reception will be to VW’s new products be at NAIAS?

The visit will be Obama’s 18th to MI since becoming president and his first since September, when he visited Warren. While there, he spoke about apprenticeship programs and making community college free. It is celebrated in Detroit from January 11-24. The plan was initiated under president George W. Bush, but Obama largely oversaw the bailout. Ford did not take any bailout funds.

Checking out Agent 001’s finest snaps from years gone by, it’s particularly interesting to see how the auto show has evolved over the years.

In the address Obama, who is in his previous year in office, crowed about economic growth and progress during his presidency, including “more than 14 million new jobs” as well as slashing the federal deficit and a major expansion of health care coverage. It bested the prior best of 17.41 million set in 2000.

In his weekly radio address Saturday, Obama said the rebound of the auto industry shows that “America can do anything” – the theme of his State of the Union Address to Congress next week. In October, GM announced it was adding a second shift at its Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant and adding 1,200 workers there.

In February 2012, Obama endorsed the gas-electric Chevrolet Volt, saying he planned to buy the extended-range electric vehicle upon leaving office.