2003 SEMA Auto Show

STORY TOOLS
Print this	Save this	Digg this
Email this	Most popular	del.icio.us

When you hear the words "trade show" and "Las Vegas," they inevitably conjure up an image of bleary-eyed salesmen standing around a giant shrimp cocktail sharing office war stories and downing Bud Lights. While there's bound to be plenty of sales pitches thrown about and cold ones consumed, the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show is anything but your typical coat and tie convention.

At SEMA, custom cars rule and the more outlandish they are the better. Whether it's a pavement-scraping Civic, a crate-motor Camaro or a sky-high Silverado, if it's outrageous and on four wheels, it'll be on the floor at SEMA. Dedicated to showing off all the latest in the automotive aftermarket, the SEMA show packs parts manufacturers from all over the world under one roof for a week-long extravaganza of shiny wheels, fluorescent lights and just about anything else that can be attached to a moving vehicle. No matter how customized you think your car may be, the cars at SEMA always manage to take it one step further.

Although the show is primarily a stage for aftermarket parts suppliers, original equipment manufacturers also participate in the fun with plenty of cool customs of their own. Chrysler, Ford and GM always bring out a few new toys to gauge public interest in new designs, and the imports put on a strong showing as well. We're never sure what will turn up on the one million-plus square feet of floor space, but rest assured none of it will be boring.