The Utah Automobile Dealers Association's annual Utah Auto Show opened Thursday at the Salt Palace, the perfect antidote to the January blues.
If the UADA show has a star this year, it's probably the Lamborghini Diablo, an awesome, bright red dart that, with a claimed top speed of 202 mph, is said to be the fastest production car currently available for sale in the United States.If you are wondering where one might make use of such speed in a nation where 65 mph is the top legal speed in most state and 55 mph in many . . . well, you just don't understand how the wild and rich think.
True, Diablo owners will never actually get the beast up to its top speed (at least not more than once and probably on a stretch of I-15 between Mesquite and Las Vegas) but that's really not the point. The point is to own the fastest car. Period.
Owners can brag about their 485 hp, 48-valve, V-12 engine that redlines at 7,000 rpm and propels the Lambo from zero to 60mph in 3.9 seconds. Oh, yeah, somewhere in the conversation they might also let drop the price: $240,000. Finally, Lamborghini Diablo owners can count themselves as members of a very exclusive club as only 120 of them were built last year.
If you want to see the Devil car up close and personal, the Salt Palace is the place through Sunday. The Utah Auto Show is the only place the car will be shown this year west of Chicago.
While the Diablo may be the most exotic and expensive set of wheels at this year's show, it's got lots of company otherwise. Some 350 vehicles, representing all major domestic and import car and truck manufacturers are on hand to showcase their 1992 models along with one-of-a-kind concept cars such as the Pontiac "Protosport 4," the Geo "Boombox Tracker," Buick's "Lucerne" and the Dodge "Neon Car."
Total value of all the go-mobiles on display at this year's show is said to top $6 million. Edward Greenband Enterprises is the director of the show.
The Rocky Mountain Chevrolet Dealers will hold a grand prize drawing during the show for a 1992 Geo Metro. Registration for the drawing can be done at the show or at any Chevy dealer. Cellular One also will give away four mobile telephones, one each day of the event.
The Utah Auto Dealers Association - 154 new car and six heavy-truck dealers representing 460 franchises in 37 communities statewide - is celebrating its 69th anniversary this year.
According to Jerry Hayes, UADA executive president, the organization's members represent the third-largest segment of the Utah economy with annual sales volume of more than $1.8 billion.These annual sales, said Hayes, "generate more than 13 percent of the sales tax revenues collected by the state. Utah's auto industry has an annual payroll of more than $150 million and our citizens spend nearly $4 billion on auto-related expenditures each year. This is a considerable amount of money turning over in our economy."
Hayes said 1.3 million motor vehicles travel the 50,000 miles of Utah highways each year, a "dynamic force" in the state's economy.
UADA was formed in 1914 by William Rischel - also the founder of the American Automobile Association (AAA) in Utah - and elected Melvin R. Ballard in 1923 as its first dealer president. He incorporated the group in 1930.
Ed Kenley is 1992 UADA chairman.
Utah Auto Show hours this year are Thursday 5-10 p.m.; Friday noon to 10 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $4 for adults. Children under 12 are free when accompanied by an adult. Discount tickets of $1 are available at 7-Eleven stores and all new-car dealers.