Politicians' visibility increasing at Detroit auto show

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D., Ohio) was one of many politicians who showed up at the auto show. THE BLADE/ANDY MORRISON Enlarge | Photo Reprints

DETROIT -- As the automotive industry rebounds, this year's Detroit auto show features more dazzle, more optimism, and more politicians winding their way through the exhibits.

A sizable delegation from the Obama Administration, four governors, and numerous members of Congress were among the visitors this week to the preview days of the show. The visits highlight the connection that Detroit has had with Washington since 2009, when General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC went through bankruptcy protection, earning GM the nickname "Government Motors."

The show is more than just a chance for the politicians to pose for photos or kick the tires of new models. Many take only a cursory walk across the convention center, spending most of their time in Detroit meeting with auto executives about new jobs, fuel-economy standards, and future products.

"I sense a new energy in this industry, and I'd like to believe we're part of that energy," said Gov. Jay Nixon of Missouri. "If I can make a little bit of a difference by representing 6 million Missourians with my presence here, it's worth it."

Missouri is among the big beneficiaries of the industry's revival, with Ford Motor Co. and GM recently announcing plans to invest a combined $1.5 billion to expand plants in that state.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich met with executives from Ford, GM, and Honda, which announced last week that it would build a plant in Ohio to make the Acura NSX that it unveiled here. Mr. Kasich said he was not here just looking to shake hands with the executives but rather to discuss specific steps the state can take to facilitate more automotive activity there.

"We come away with assignments," Mr. Kasich said. "You're not going to earn new business just because you have a good relationship."

At various times, Ford's exhibit area played host to the commerce secretary, John Bryson, Gov. Rick Snyder of Michigan, and a delegation of elected officials from Kentucky.

William Clay Ford, Jr., Ford's executive chairman, gave Mr. Bryson a tour of the company's most fuel-efficient new vehicles.

The meeting with Mr. Snyder took a different tack, focusing on jobs being created at Michigan factories. While the presentations were hardly newsworthy, the intense interest by government officials in Ford's resurgence was welcomed by the company's executives.

Alan Mulally, Ford's chief executive, said Detroit's surprising comeback and the rebound in vehicle sales last year have underscored the importance of the industry to the nation's economy.

"Our government leaders are asking us what they can do to create an environment where businesses can grow," Mr. Mulally said.

While political figures and government officials, including Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Lisa Jackson, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, were descending on the Detroit show, one of Ford's top executives, Mark Fields, traveled to Washington to participate in President Obama's forum on "Insourcing American Jobs."

Mr. Fields, president of Ford's Americas unit, detailed how the company's new labor contract was allowing it to add thousands of jobs that would have gone to Mexico and China.

Sergio Marchionne, Chrysler's chief executive, was already on a first-name basis with the energy secretary, Steven Chu, when the two met Tuesday at the Chrysler stand.

Just days before, they had huddled in Washington about the status of the company's application for a $3 billion loan from the Energy Department for retooling plants for more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Mr. Marchionne said he had reduced the amount the company was requesting in hopes of finally obtaining the loan after waiting more than two years.

"We are still talking with Chrysler, and we hope to move forward, but there are no promises as to what will happen," Mr. Chu told reporters after delivering a speech on Wednesday to the Detroit Economic Club on the auto show floor.

At the show, Mr. Marchionne showed Mr. Chu the new Dodge Dart, the first new model derived from a vehicle created by Fiat, its Italian parent.

Mr. Chu also pored over a new 1.4-liter engine on display at the Chrysler exhibit, causing his aides to fret that he was falling behind on his schedule to visit the other automakers.

Mr. Snyder circled the convention hall Tuesday, posting periodic updates of the cars he was seeing on his Twitter page and photos on Facebook.

The show began to take on more of a political atmosphere several years ago, when the Detroit carmakers were spiraling into financial disarray. Each of the shows since GM and Chrysler started receiving federal aid in late 2008 has attracted more attention from Washington, which previously had a rather antagonistic relationship with Detroit.