The time of year when consumers purchase specialty equipment often dictates planning for inventory levels and new-product unveilings. So when are consumers most likely to purchase custom parts and accessories for their rides? Data taken from the 2007 Automotive Lifestyles survey of enthusiast-magazine subscribers shows that consumers are most likely to purchase specialty equipment during the spring and summer months of the "driving season." Both car and light-truck owners seem to follow the same purchase behavior pattern, as shown in the table below.



SEMA gathered over 3,400 complete responses the above Automotive Lifestyles survey, which was administered via email to subscribers of 21 different automotive enthusiast magazines. For more information, visit www.sema.org/research or call 909/396-0289, ext. 189.

SEMA members know that clean-diesel technology will impact the specialty-equipment industry in the future. A SEMA survey conducted earlier this year showed that one in three members surveyed indicated that clean-diesel vehicles will have a “noticeable” to “extremely large” impact on the specialty-equipment industry. Companies that build diesel parts know that today's diesels bear little resemblance to their older siblings. Modern diesels are clean, quiet, fuel-efficient and low on emissions, hence several European and Asian automakers intend to export diesel passenger vehicles to the United States.

Modern diesels have reduced exhaust emissions by 95% and improved fuel economy by 30%, largely due to common rail fuel delivery, according to Al Krenz, director of service for Robert Bosch LLC. Combining common rail technology with new piezo injectors, ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel and advanced exhaust emissions-control technologies, diesels will meet the most demanding current and future United States emissions requirements.

Since high compression ratios allow diesel light trucks to achieve better horsepower and torque over their gasoline counterparts, consumers in need of larger light-duty pickups are turning to diesels. The percentage of diesel light trucks produced by automakers jumped from 6.17% in 2005 to 8.24% in 2006, according to Ward's Auto.

While light-truck production has dropped recently in response to softening new-vehicle demand, the number of diesels manufactured has actually grown in order to fuel continued demand for this light-truck powertrain. Diesels are important to the specialty-equipment industry as well: One in 10 new products introduced in the 2007 SEMA Show New Product Showcase was made for a diesel application.

In addition, diesel light-truck owners spend more money on specialty-equipment than non-diesel light-truck owners. Diesel owners spent 17% more over the last year, on average, according to the SEMA Automotive Lifestyles survey.

For more information on the diesel market, visit www.sema.org/research. In addition, SEMA members can now order their 2007 SEMA Market Research CD, which houses the latest research articles and reports.

To order this CD, contact Shirley Presecan at shirleyp@sema.org or call 909/396-0289, ext. 118.

Perhaps it’s the winter period of test and tune, teardown and analysis, but parts and accessories for auto racing is currently one of the hottest categories in online auction sales. From its 2007 peak in the last week of February, the category slowly declined throughout the spring and summer, reaching its lowest point in late August, according to data from Terapeak, a developer of market-focused research software that monitors online sales and auctions.

But the category jumped 14% by the end of September, climbed an additional 16% a month later, then another 16% by Thanksgiving. As of the second week of December, the entire segment was only 3% off its spring peak.

Driveline and transmission parts helped drive much of the growth, hitting a 2007 high during the last week of November. Rearends specifically jumped dramatically, up 55% from November 2 through December 6.

Fuel systems also spiked in convincing fashion, a jump of just more than 100% between the period of November 23 to December 6.

Patti Freeman Evans, a senior analyst who monitors the retail industry for JupiterResearch, explains that the Internet is a key influencer in buying decisions.

"We see online retail plateauing at 10%–15% of total retail down the road," she says. "But that growth will really be organic, not dramatic. We look to the Internet to remain a highly influential channel for retailers to affect customer purchasing regardless of what channel the actual transaction occurs in."

Terapeak's Motors P&A Research provides sellers with access to comprehensive research on the past year of online auction data and allows users to get in-depth research reports on the competition and themselves. More at www.terapeak.com/motors.

As a SEMA member, one of your most important opportunities is to help identify industry leaders to serve on the SEMA Board of Directors. Our industry has many talented individuals, but oftentimes those talents aren’t immediately apparent to the committee that is responsible for selecting the final candidates. So please, take a moment to tell us about whom you would recommend as a potential nominee. We also welcome self-nominations; they are often the best information we get because we receive background, experience and visionary information straight from the source.

Nominations for the 2008 SEMA Board of Directors election are due no later than Tuesday, January 15, 2008. Complete the nomination form located here and submit it to Nominating Task Force Chairman Bill Perry at bpaabp@aol.com or liaison Christine Papavero at christineb@sema.org. Please be sure to include background/qualifications on the nominee(s).

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Tune in to the Discovery Network’s TLC SEMA Show special, as producers go behind the scenes of the 2007 SEMA Show. Relive your favorite moments, or get a glimpse of what you may have missed. Debuting tonight (Thursday, December 13, at 10 p.m.) and re-airing during the next week, the show will highlight some of the newest cars and accessories hitting the market. Visit http://turbo.discovery.com/sema2007/about/about.html for more SEMA Show coverage.

Registration for SEMA Spring Expo and SEMA OFFROAD, February 8–9, 2008, in Indianapolis, is in full swing and available for attendees online by visiting www.semaspringexpo.com and www.semaoffroad.com. The spring events deliver the acclaimed SEMA Show experience to the Indianapolis area and surrounding regions. With a special emphasis on trucks and SUVs, exhibitors will display a variety of products and services covering accessories, restyling, wheels and tires, and mobile electronics.

Both shows are sponsored by the Light-Truck Accessory Alliance (TORA) and Professional Restylers Organization (PRO). For more information about TORA, click here or e-mail Jim Skelly at jimsk@sema.org. For more information about PRO, click here or e-mail Ellen McKoy at ellenm@sema.org.

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