As the Jaw-droppers at SEMA

Persian-style mats to oddball pickups Parts show only part of year-long action

NIKA ROLCZEWSKI
SPECIAL TO THE STAR

LAS VEGAS—Just like any carnival, the SEMA aftermarket show is a sensory experience — the sights, the sounds, the many salespeople peddling their wares.

While my newspaper colleague Jil McIntosh is a rookie, this being her first time at the show, I am Old School. I've walked the aisles for the past five years.

At first glance, not much has changed. Still, more than 100,000 people take in the vehicular scenery, walking the 20 km of exhibits.

Why torture your tootsies with a marathon of walking? Because the car aftermarket business is a $29 billion (U.S.) industry, that's why.

For first-time exhibitor Dale Newberg, the show is overwhelming. Her new company, Auto Sole, provider of exquisite Belgian-weaved floor mats, is just one of more than a 1,000 new products this year.

Newberg wants to bring cachet to what she calls a dull and boring product.

Her Persian carpet-styled mats could add flair to a Lada.

Being at SEMA is worth it for her, as interest in her product is considerable.

For others, it's more like a competition. What can we build that will have jaw-dropping capabilities? Each year, that becomes more and more difficult.

A 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL600 catches my eye. The V12 twin turbo coupe with retractable hardtop is built for speed by Renntech in Florida.

But the car's exterior is what draws me: it's a driveable mirror in polished aluminum and chrome paint.

Enhancing the look of some show vehicles goes back to hot-rod roots, with flames and pinstriping.

This route has been updated, though. For example, decorations can now be in the form of a removable magnet: from imitation paw prints and bird poop, one wonders about the purpose of such accessories.

"SEMA is about nothing you need, but everything you want," I overhear someone say.

Not quite. Here, it's whatever floats your boat.

In another area, I find a Mercedes front end morphed into a Ford F-150 to create a "Benzo" pickup truck.

What will they think of next, I ask myself as I stroll on to view the 2,000 other vehicles displayed here. From the sublime to the outrageous, this is so much more than a car show.

SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) provides essential services for its 5,727 member companies.

From scholarship and intern programs to conducting educational seminars, this organization strives to foster a well-informed workforce.

It also conducts market research on trends and provides vehicles for the engineering of new products.

The association's government affairs staff in Washington, D.C., is dedicated to protecting member companies interests.

From regulations on tinting to exhaust noise, SEMA is ever alert to fighting what it sees as poorly formulated legislation and to safeguarding the rights and future of the auto hobbyist.

The SEMA Action Network has grown rapidly during its first eight years of existence.

Membership includes more than 18,000 contacts, including 2,100 car clubs across the United States.

This incredible extravaganza is a magnet for car enthusiasts.

It restores my faith in the theory that the only thing separating us from animals is our ability to accessorize.

Now, where's that "wicked winch of the West"  Jil told me about?

For more information on SEMA - visit their website at www.sema.org