Philadelphia Auto Show Returns Bigger and Better

E. NORRITON, PA--January 14, 2011: The Automobile Dealers Association of Greater Philadelphia (ADAGP) are proud to announce the return of the Philadelphia Auto Show to the Pennsylvania Convention Center from January 28 to February 5.

“Our 2012 event is bigger, better and bolder”

"Our 2012 event is bigger, better and bolder," said Kevin Mazzucola, executive director of the Automobile Dealers Association of Greater Philadelphia. "Thanks to the newly-expanded Pennsylvania Convention Center, we are able to give the people of Philadelphia a one-of-a-kind auto show experience this year. For the first time ever, we will host an indoor Ride and Drive opportunity as well as several other new features. When attendees step onto this year's display floor, they'll be in awe of both the beautifully redesigned Pennsylvania Convention Center as well as how we were fortunately able to make use of it."

The expansion of the Pennsylvania Convention Center resulted in more than 1 million square feet of sellable space in the building, including 528,000 square feet of total contiguous exhibit hall space, which is the area where the indoor Ride and Drive, hosted by Toyota, will take place.

"You may have been to Philadelphia Auto Shows before but you haven't been to this Philadelphia Auto Show. With 528,000 square feet of total contiguous space made available to us, we were able to dramatically improve the configuration of our event," added Mazzucola. "We traditionally have more than 700 vehicles on display from approximately 40 worldwide manufacturers, therefore we have been ready and awaiting an opportunity like this. Guests can now enjoy the majority of our event on one easy-to-navigate display floor."

In total, the Philadelphia Auto Show will have more than 600,000 square feet of display space, which is up from last year's total of 550,000. Every participating vehicle manufacturer will now be found in Halls A, B, C, D and E of the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The DUB Show Tour feature at the Auto Show will remain on the lower level of the show in Hall F.

"This layout is the ideal layout for our show," said Michael Gempp, Philadelphia Auto Show Director. "We've been able to let our DUB Salon grow into a display that now has its own special, separate area on the lower level of the Pennsylvania Convention Center while enhancing the overall design of our main floor. This year's event allows consumers to see every major vehicle manufacturer not only under one roof and on one level, but also side-by-side according to their category. In other words, vehicles will be grouped by their class segment on this year's show floor, which will make for an even better browsing experience for guests. Philadelphians will not be able to find this anywhere else, and we are thankful for the opportunity to be able to provide it to them."

As one of the nation's biggest auto shows, the Philadelphia Auto Show has a proven track record of influence on consumers. In 2011, nearly 90 percent of attendees in the market for a new vehicle reported that visiting the Auto Show influenced their next purchasing decision, according to exit surveys.

In addition, the ADAGP and its Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Philadelphia Auto Show, have made more than $6.4 million in contributions to worthwhile child-related initiatives and organizations over the past 25 years. The ADAGP will proudly continue its charitable giving this year by donating proceeds from its 2012 Black Tie Tailgate to The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia via the Foundation. It will also donate $2.00 from every Auto Show ticket sold to the Foundation, which will use the funds to run a number of programs throughout the year including its Driving Away the Cold campaign, which provides new winter coats to underprivileged children living in the Greater Philadelphia area.

More highlights of the 2012 Philadelphia Auto Show include:

Pre-Production and Green Models

The Auto Show is always a great place for attendees to catch a sneak peek at the vehicles that will soon be in dealerships across the region. Examples of 2013 models that can be viewed at this year's show include the Audi A5 Cabriolet, Audi A8L, Cadillac ATS, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Malibu, Chevrolet Sonic, Dodge Dart, Ford Escape, Ford Fusion, Ford Mustang Boss 302, Ford Taurus SHO, Hyundai Equus, Hyundai Veloster, Infiniti JX, Lexus GS, Mazda CX-5, Mercedes-Benz ML, Nissan GT-R, Porsche 911 Carrera, Scion iQ, Subaru BRZ and Volvo XC90. A variety of the latest green models will also be on display, including the 2012 Nissan LEAF and Volvo C30 Electric as well as the 2013 Chevrolet Spark and Ford C-MAX Energi.

DUB Show Tour

Hosted by DUB magazine, the premier publication of the urban automotive lifestyle, this year's DUB Live exhibit at the Philadelphia Auto Show has grown nearly 30 percent in size and will include 50,000 square feet of the hottest customized rides and celebrity vehicles today. This special feature will be located on the lower level of the Philadelphia Auto Show.

Exotics and Classics

A chance to see both old and new, the Philadelphia Auto Show will again offer guests the opportunity to view some of the latest exotic models to hit the market as well as some of the classics that one can never get tired of looking at. The 2012 Lamborghini Aventador and Mercedes-Benz SLS Roadster are just a few examples of some of the exotics that will be on display. Examples of classics that will be on-site courtesy of Buckingham Concours d'Elegance, Eastern U.S. Concours d'Elegance, LRA Auto Museum, New Hope Auto Show and Simeone Automotive Museum will include a 1913 Mercer 35J Raceabout, 1921 Duesenberg French GP, 1936 Aston Lemans, 1948 Hudson Hornet Convertible, 1966 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray, 1968 Plymouth Barracuda BO29, 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 and 1969 Yenko Camaro.

More event details include:

Black Tie Tailgate Charitable Preview Gala

Discount Coupons

Show Hours & Ticket Prices

About the ADAGP

Event Sponsors

The Philadelphia Auto Show welcomes back AAA Insurance and AutoTrader.com as its 2012 premier sponsors.

**Editor's Note -- Information valid as of print date. Please check Philly Auto Show for the latest updates on featured vehicles, celebrity appearances and more.