Catering to a small niche market in Europe for the past 10 years, Velocity Automotive Group, based in Munich, imports and distributes parts from more than 500 manufacturers for American performance cars and trucks. This particular niche revolves around the Mustang, which is wildly popular in America but not nearly as common in Europe. However, according to Johannes Crepon, the company’s owner, the American performance market in Europe is still exciting because it’s so diverse. The customer base ranges from aging enthusiasts who have always dreamed of owning and restoring a vintage Mustang to Millennials who prefer late-model Camaros, Corvettes and Ram trucks.
Is there a 3D printer in your future? It’s really no longer a question of if, but when. That’s because now, after more than three decades, the technology known officially as “additive manufacturing” is finally maturing and mainstreaming—and transforming modern manufacturing in the process.
Motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs, snowmobiles and personal watercraft—small on size, big on entertainment value. And the New Products Showcase at the 2014 SEMA Show was brimming with powersports accessories designed to boost performance, add functionality and enhance appearance. The next few pages highlight the new and featured products displayed in the powersports category of the Showcase.
The SEMA Data Co-op has become “data central” for hundreds of specialty parts brands, representing millions of part numbers, and tens of millions of vehicle applications. This directory is designed to guide data users to brands that have successfully undertaken the challenge to manage their product data, and to be a continually expanding reference as more brands are added to the SDC repository.
More than 100 products were displayed under the car-care and restyling classifications in the New Products Showcase at the 2014 SEMA Show. They ranged from body parts and panels to traditional waxes and cutting-edge vinyl wraps and clears. We’ve gathered the new introductions into this listing and have included comments on car-care trends from professionals with some of the leading and most innovative companies in the segment. Enjoy!
After 18 years of success, the SEMA Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council’s (MPMC) annual Media Trade Conference (MTC) is still going strong. Every January, the conference takes place at an Embassy Suites in Southern California, where 100 MPMC members set up meeting space in their own individual suites and host 30-minute meetings with journalists.
Mining OEM CAD Files Through SEMA’s Tech Transfer Program
Among SEMA’s many member services is its Tech Transfer program, designed to help product developers and manufacturers design and create quality components and items for vehicles from original-equipment manufacturer (OEM) data files. The program traces its roots back to 1999, when Ford first provided vehicle blueprints to SEMA to share with association members. Now housed in the new SEMA Garage—Industry Innovations Center, the Tech Transfer program has grown to encompass a wide-ranging digital catalog of CAD files from Ford, GM, Scion and Chrysler (including Fiat, Jeep and RAM). While simple in concept, accessing the program may at first appear a little daunting for first-timers. To help explain its ins and outs, SEMA News sat down for a Q&A with Gary Pis, SEMA vehicle data product manager, who coordinates the program.
As global interest in and demand for automotive customization grows, so does the opportunity for increased business for SEMA-member companies. That is the reason why SEMA sponsors international business-development programs and connects SEMA members with potential buyers in emerging markets such as China, Russia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Legacy Stylings Meet New Technologies
The automotive aftermarket owes quite a bit to hot rodders. While, technically, the industry existed prior to the street scene of the ’50s, it was hot rodders who sparked the explosion of innovative performance and appearance products that now characterize the heart and soul of the automotive specialty-equipment market. They made tinkering with, modifying and personalizing cars cool, catapulting the industry into the $33-billion powerhouse it is today. And although the industry has since grown and broadened to encompass a dizzying array of products and trends in countless categories, hot rodding has hardly faded from the scene.
Powerful Accessories That Boost Vehicle Efficiency and Functionality
New products in the mobile-electronics category at the 2014 SEMA Show ran the gamut from high-powered horns to connected-car and navigation aids. Each year, the electronics displays become more advanced and provide potential for increased revenue at specialty-equipment retail outlets. The latest offerings featured traditional automotive audio and video systems but also included interfaces for smartphones and tablets as well as vehicle maintenance technologies.