January 6, 2009 - Nissan Dealers, Detroit MI

After Nissan said in November than it would skip this year’s North American International Auto Show, which opens here next week, a group of Nissan dealers decided they would provide staff members to run an exhibit for the company. That way, their cars would at least be on display at the show. But the dealers have canceled those plans, at Nissan’s request.

Doug Fox, owner of a Nissan dealership in Ann Arbor, Mich., and a co-chairman of the auto show, said the dealers were surprised by the company’s disapproval but agreed to pull out.

“They said they would really appreciate it if we would respect their decision not to be present at N.A.I.A.S. this year in any way, shape or form,” Mr. Fox said. “If that’s the way corporate feels, obviously we weren’t going to push the issue any further. As dealers, we thought we were doing the right thing to create a presence.”

A Nissan spokesman, Brian Brockman, confirmed the request but declined to say why the company had not wanted its dealers to have a display. In its original announcement, Nissan said it was bypassing Detroit, as well as the Chicago auto show, “based on the fact that we have no major new products to show” and because of “the current economic conditions which will impact the shows’ marketing effectiveness.”

Since then, the company has changed its mind about Chicago, leaving Detroit as the only show off Nissan’s schedule. “We worked with our Chicago-area dealers and came up with a good creative solution that we could maintain a presence while still having an eye toward the challenging market out there,” Mr. Brockman said.

Patrick Olsen, editor in chief of Cars.com, a Web site that provides car-buying advice for consumers, said it was understandable that Nissan, which like other automakers was grappling with the worst selling environment in at least 25 years, would be trying to save money. But he said that letting the dealers operate their own display would have cost the company nothing.

“It’s a little puzzling,” he said. “It’s the first time that an automaker this large has skipped Detroit, which is really the tent pole of auto shows. Usually you want to be there just to be seen and let the world press come and see what you’ve got.”

The space Nissan would have used will instead be shared by the Korean company Kia, a lounge and smaller displays.

Mr. Fox said that Nissan’s Michigan dealers would not get the usual bump in showroom business during and after the show. “I think they should be here,” he said.

Original Story - New York Times