ETool Developers hired John Zinn as its new president. Zinn has worked in many facets of the automotive aftermarket industry, including retail, manufacturing, distribution, publishing and e-commerce development. He was most recently the director of marketing for Stillen.

John Zinn

Hart, King & Coldren announced that James Wilson joined the company’s real estate transactional and land-use group. Wilson will focus on the acquisition, disposition, leasing and development of commercial and residential property. Hart, King & Coldren also hired Karen Crouch as the firm’s franchise and real estate paralegal in the transactional department.

SCCA Pro Racing added the Sebring International Raceway and Lime Rock Park to 2008 SCCA Speed World Challenge schedule. The SCCA Speed World Challenge championships kick off the season in Sebring, Florida, March 12–14, during the America Le Mans Series’ 12 Hours of Sebring. In addition, a Touring Car doubleheader will accompany the Grand-Am GT Classic at Lime Rock Park, May 24–26.

Nomination forms for the 19th annual Stater Bros. Route 66 Rendezvous Cruisin’ Hall of Fame in San Bernardino, California, are available online at www.route-66.org. The public is invited to submit entries for individuals and entities that made a significant impact on the automotive cruising era. The nomination categories are: legendary builder/designer; automotive manufacturers or specific vehicles; entertainer/media; and historic/miscellaneous. The deadline for nominations is January 31, 2008.

Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA)

HRIA Seminar Workshop Lineup for the Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show

Located in the Indiana Convention Center on Thursday, February 28, 2008, all SEMA members are encouraged to participate in the workshops at the Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show that focus on product use, tips and techniques. Click here to access additional information and a registration form, or contact Jan Desma (jand@sema.org) at 909/396-0289, ext. 134.

For more information about HRIA, visit www.sema.org/hria or contact Jan Desma at jand@sema.org.

 Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO)

For more information about ARMO, visit www.sema.org/armo or contact Jan Desma at jand@sema.org.

Manufacturers' Rep Council (MRC)

For information about MRC, visit www.sema.org/mrc or contact Jan Desma at jand@sema.org.

Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC)

For information about MPMC, visit www.sema.org/mpmc contact Jim Skelly at jimsk@sema.org.

Truck and Off-Road Alliance (TORA)

For information about TORA, visit www.sema.org/TORA or contact Jim Skelly at jimsk@sema.org.

Professional Restylers Organization (PRO)

For information about PRO, visit www.sema.org/pro or contact Ellen McKoy at ellenm@sema.org.

Sport-Compact Council (SCC)

For information about SCC, visit www.sema.org/scc or contact Paul Moritz at paulm@sema.org.

For information about WTC, visit www.sema.org/wtc or contact Paul Moritz at paulm@sema.org.

SEMA Businesswomen's Network (SBN)

For information about SBN, visit www.sema.org/sbn or contact Paul Moritz at paulm@sema.org.

Young Executives Network (YEN)

For information about YEN, visit www.sema.org/yen or contact Paul Moritz at paulm@sema.org.

Filler for eNews

Dodge dealers began taking orders for the new Challenger SRT8 on Monday, December 3, accepting deposits from more than 6,000 prospective owners by Wednesday, according to an AutoWeek report. Dodge sources say that the automaker will produce less than 10,000 units in its first run.

Additional Challengers will follow with lesser engine options than the SRT8’s 6.1L V8. But if the sales strength and popularity of the hot-rod market is any indication, any of the Challenger options represent a great opportunity for the specialty-equipment market.

The street-performance market, which encompasses the popular musclecar segment, has grown since 1997. According to SEMA research, retail sales grew 40% while manufacturer sales rose 36%. Another hot-rod category, the street rod and custom niche, grew even more dramatically in the same nine-year period, with retail sales growing 64% and manufacturer sales climbing 60%.



SEMA surveyed automotive magazine subscribers this year to learn how enthusiasts customize their cars, receiving 3,354 responses to an e-mail survey sent September–November. About 37% were classified as musclecar enthusiasts (those who indicate an interest in musclecars and subscribe to musclecar magazines), while only 14% indicated little or no interest in musclecars.

A brief look at how these consumers modify their vehicles is shown in the table below. Notice that musclecar enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts buy many of the same products, though the order of preference varies significantly. 



Below are the top 20 hot rods owned by the musclecar enthusiasts surveyed.



For further insight into the musclecar market, visit www.sema.org/research for a copy of the 2006 SEMA Hot Rod Report, or contact the Market Research department at 909/396-0289, ext 125.

Source: Dale Jewett "Dodge Challenger SRT8-Going, Going..." AutoWeek Daily Drive, December 6, 2007

Of the 14 new product categories open to exhibitors at the 2007 SEMA Show, parts for vintage vehicles recorded the largest growth, increasing 17.6% from last year’s entries. “Vintage” loosely refers to vehicles 25 years old and older, and the bulk of parts entered into new-products judging were for mid-'50s to mid-'70s vehicles, according to SEMA research.

The growth in this category mirrors findings from SEMA surveys during the last two years, which reveals that the number of enthusiasts expressing interest in these vehicles, as well as subscribing to relevant restoration magazines, has grown 80%.

Rounding out the top five growing new-product categories were tools and equipment (14%), mobile electronics and technology (9.3%), styling and appearance accessories (6.2%), diesel products (6.1%) and luxury-vehicle accessories (2.2%).

Although styling and appearance accessories narrowly edged diesel products in terms of growth, the number of enthusiasts that own diesel-powered vehicles surveyed by SEMA has risen by 20%.

For more market insight and research, visit www.sema.org/research.

Filler for eNews

Unclear about the latest developments in anti-trust law regarding resale price agreements and minimum advertised pricing (MAP) programs? SEMA members can now visit our webpage dedicated to breaking news and analysis of this complex area of law, recently revised by the Supreme Court.

The webpage is listed under the "Legislation & Regulations" link on www.sema.org, and contains links to previous webinars, SEMA News articles and other writings on the subject. Visit the page now by clicking here: Regulation of Resale Pricing Policies.