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SEMA-member companies have posted several new listings for job opportunities at www.sema.org/classifieds. Working for a SEMA-member company has many advantages. In addition to working for a company that supports and contributes to the success of the overall industry, being employed by a SEMA-member company enable the employee to participate in webinars, access free market research, join SEMA committees and more. The newest classified listings posted under Positions Available include:

Preliminary results from SEMA’s 2007 Automotive Lifestyles survey show that two out of five (41%) people surveyed show an interest in sport-compact vehicles. What kind of specialty-equipment products are these enthusiasts purchasing? The following is an excerpt from the 2006 SEMA Compact Performance Market Report, which lists the top products purchased by this group.

The Fast & the Furious movies controversially thrust the compact performance segment into mainstream view and many enthusiasts were put off by negative stereotypes attributed to the overzealous nature of the scene portrayed in the first two movies. Average citizens were harsher and the excessive “look at me” style of 2001—2004 suddenly became passé, if not taboo.

The days of mismatched and unpainted body kits, Franken-car part mixing, spray-painted interiors and questionable decal schemes have mostly passed. Nevertheless, enthusiasts remain interested in accessories and appearance products for their low-cost and visual impact. Alarms, shifters, pedals, window tinting, license plate frames, instrument gauges and lights remain enthusiast favorites, and the list of “hot” items people plan to buy include vertical doors, seats (front and rear), custom paint and a range of carbon-fiber pieces. Some of these parts are purely aesthetic, but the recent twist on performance favors items, such as racing seats and carbon-fiber parts, for their ability to improve the racing potential of a car and its driver.

 

In regard to body kits and exterior elements, the current disposition is moving towards subtle modifications that blend into the factory lines. Previously, there was an epidemic of aggressive kits that had little, if not a negative, effect on aerodynamics. Wild “fighter plane” styles and enormous rear wings have been replaced with a more conservative look.

Much of the influence has come from response to the criticism caused by mainstream coverage, but also by clean styles from Japan and Europe. European luxury sedans often incorporate modest body upgrades that are appealing for being simple and classy. Likewise, the “JDM” and VIP waves from Japan are inspiring a direction of visual minimalism. Consumers now demand parts with substantial functionality and prefer bolt-on features that have proven aerodynamic advantages. Bold packages are still popular and wide-body kits are on the rise, but their architectural range is less adventurous and more integrated.
   
Neon lights have been able to break the The Fast & The Furious curse and have become widely accepted on show cars. They were associated with this negative image but have survived the transition. Consumers note that they captivate attendees for a “second look” and prove especially useful since many of the mainstream shows tend to adopt a nightclub ambience with little facility lighting. Since their usage is primarily witnessed as props for shows, their street popularity is still unknown.

SEMA members can receive a complimentary copy of the 2006 SEMA Compact Performance Market Report as another benefit to being a SEMA member. Additional data, including performance-parts purchases, demographics and top vehicles purchased by this segment, can be found in this report, which may be downloaded by visiting www.sema.org/research.

Roughly 19% of automotive enthusiasts queried in SEMA's 2007 Automotive Lifestyles survey own a light truck, and the following is a short excerpt from the 2006 SEMA Light Truck Personalization Report, which details the top products purchased by light-truck owners per geographic region.

For the purpose of this study, the United States was broken up into nine regions. The following data indicates the percentage of truck owners who have already installed or plan to install various accessories. In each of the regions, the heavy-duty trailer hitch was the most popular accessory to have already been installed. For the purpose of this article, only the top five accessory purchases/planned purchases for each region in 2006 are presented below.



While the tables above show only the top five purchases in each region, the entire breakdown of purchases is available in the full-length report.  SEMA members can now receive their complimentary copy of the 2006 SEMA Light Truck Personalization Report as another benefit to being a SEMA member. This data-intensive report is filled with valuable light-truck specialty-equipment industry information, and SEMA members can download the report by visiting www.sema.org/research.

Although August sales of the current Jeep Liberty declined by 51.2% compared to the same period last year, Chrysler hopes its redesigned-for-2008 model will broaden consumer appeal. SEMA research reveals that among enthusiasts surveyed in the 2007 Automotive Lifestyle survey, 4% owned a Jeep and that nearly all of them—97%—had personalized their rides. Most popular among these modifications are bigger tires, trailer hitches, custom wheels, air intakes, fog lights and modified suspensions.

Chrysler reported last week that its Five Star dealers had sold a record 10,204 certified pre-owned vehicles in August, a 5% increase from August 2006 sales. Jeep models were the overall winner for the month, with sales surging 19%, while Chrysler brand sales dipped 3%. Dodge brand sales climbed 3%, including a model favored by musclecar and customization fans: the Magnum.

The Magnum sold 26% better this past August compared to a year ago—good news for the air intake, exhaust and lighting companies that make parts specific to this muscle wagon. According to SEMA research obtained via CarDomain.com, the top five modifications preferred by Magnum enthusiasts are tires (19.7%), air intake (14.2%), exhaust (12.9%), wheels (10.9%) and lighting (8.4%).

Enthusiasts have spent an average of $984,500 a month since July on transmission and transmission components via online auction sales, on track to outpace average sales for the first and second quarters. In Q1, transmissions and components averaged $993,800 a month, then dipped 3% in Q2, according to data from Terapeak, a developer of market-focused research software that monitors online sales and auctions.

For the months of July and August, sales are up 2.1% over Q2.

Parts for manual transmissions have outsold those for automatics nearly every month this year, on average up 8% over slushbox components.

Shifters and flywheels/flexplates are up over the last 90 days, compared to the three months prior. From June 10—September 7, shifters are up 14% against sales for the March 12—June 9 period. Flywheels and flexplates are up 27% for the same period.

Conversely, transmission rebuild kits took a big drop in the most recent three-month period, down almost 50% compared to the prior period. Clutches and clutch parts are also down, 16% compared to earlier this year.

Do online sales tell us anything about how parts move across countertops from brick-and-mortar retailers? Maybe.

Patti Freeman Evans, a senior analyst who monitors the retail industry for JupiterResearch, explains that while online sales are only a fraction of actual retail transactions, the Internet is a key influencer in buying decisions.

"We see online retail plateauing at 10%—15% of total retail down the road-about double the penetration that catalogs ever got," Evans says.

She notes that as online commerce sites continue to develop more sophisticated tools to make purchasing easier and safer, some consumers will shift more of their wallet online.

"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 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.

The majority of early-registered international buyers for the 2007 SEMA Show are from wholesale and distributor-type businesses. Other business categories with a high number of registered international attendees for the show include Accessories & Installation Centers, Auto Parts Retailers and Automobile Dealerships.

The large number of registrations from international wholesalers and distributors is an increase from 2006, when Accessories & Installation Centers and Auto Parts Retailers tied as the top business segments from which international attendees reported they belonged to.

For the second consecutive year, Accessories was the leading product category that most international buyers reported an interest in, with nearly 60% reporting interest in the category in 2005 and 2006. Other product categories of interest to registered attendees include Tires & Wheels, Performance Parts & Equipment, Safety Equipment, Engines/Engine parts and Truck Parts & Accessories.

International attendance at the SEMA Show has increased nearly 30% since 2004 and nearly one out of every five attendees at the 2006 Show came from outside the United States. The majority of international buyers attending the 2006 Show came from businesses that had been in existence for over 11 years, 66% reported annual sales of over $5 million, and 80% said they did at least some wholesale business.

Reflecting growing worldwide interest in the specialty-equipment market, registration of international buyers for the 2007 SEMA Show is off to a record-breaking start. Advanced, international-buyer registrations already match last year's overall attendance with 18% of all registered buyers coming from outside the United States.

International participation in the Show has increased nearly 30% since 2004 when one in seven buyers were international attendees. At the current rate of registration, international attendance at the 2007 Show will increase to one-in-five buyers.

Attendees from more than 100 countries are expected to attend this year's Show. Canada had the largest number of attendees in 2006 and is showing the largest percentage increase in early registered buyers. The number of registered attendees from Mexico is also showing an increase over last year.

Registration for the 2007 Show opened 15 weeks earlier than in previous years to give attendees more time to plan for the Show. SEMA provides several services and business opportunities specifically for international visitors. Online registration is available in seven languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Chinese and Portuguese. At the Show, a special Center for International Commerce provides a wide-range of business services and education programs.

For more information on SEMA's international programs, click here.