Why is the NAIAS in Detroit?

[Retroit]

Quality is generally measured over time as a car is being used, not while it is sitting in an auto show display. Auto shows are more focused on the superficial, aesthetic design of new cars and concept cars.

But I do agree that the Big3 should have a better way of measuring quality and customer satisfaction. I don't think that simply counting how many cars are sold or not sold is the best way to determine what needs to be approved. It seems to me the current philosophy is "Let's throw a bunch of cars on the market and hope one of them will be a big seller" instead of "Let's see what the customers like and dislike about each car and try to improve upon the same model in the future".

[Mikeg]

For nearly 80 years, the SE Michigan auto dealers held a regional Detroit Auto Show. With the NAIAS re-branding in 1989, it was repositioned as an "International" [[not premier domestic) auto show to bring in additional foreign manufacturers and the foreign press. The product and business ills of the Big 3 began long before the re-branding and they continued to fester despite volumes of negative criticism in the business press and car mags. Despite their significant quality improvements over the past two decades, it has been proven that not even the Big 3's continued loss of market share was enough to motivate them into making the necessary drastic business decisions until they were on death's doorstep.

So now we have the domestic "Significant Six" auto manufacturers and the centers of gravity of three of them are scattered around the US. Putting aside the physical deficiencies of Cobo Hall, where is a better place to hold an "international" auto show in the US? What would be accomplished if the Detroit auto show reverted to a regional event?