In Step With The Times

A recent return from the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade show in Las Vegas caused me to reflect upon the current and future status of our love affair with motor vehicles. Not only did the four-day SEMA event provide an orgy of visual and tactile stimulation to the 160,000 attendees, it provided an ideal forum for discovery, exchanges and the forging of business relationships. The 2,200 exhibitors from around the world provided automotive-related companies with the opportunity to network and discover ‘next-generation’ products suited to their business.

Allard Motor Works (AMW) invested a total of 40 hours over three days, combing the aisles of the four large halls, meeting suppliers and hunting for new ideas that would compliment our popular J2X® roadster. This was also done with an eye towards the development of our upcoming 25th Anniversary Edition in 2024 (under wraps!).

Of the many ‘takeaways’ from this event, a couple of them include an appreciation of the size of the automotive aftermarket and the diversity of market segments within that industry. With an annual contribution of $337 billion to the US economy and the creation of 1.3 million jobs, many segments overlap, while others maintain their own specificity. From classic cars and ‘resto-mods’ to trucks (lots of them!) and exotics, they were all there strutting their stuff- from mild to wild!

Since AMW is a ‘ground-up’ low-volume manufacturer of a modern classic, much of our time was devoted to defining and refining our offerings to suit our operational and our customers’ needs. From stem to stern, we were in an ideal position to carefully review the more than 700 components of our J2X®MkIII within a compressed period of time. No stone was left unturned on our mission to improve the reliability, safety, comfort and agility of our roadster. We also spent a considerable amount of time looking at future trends in drivetrains, suspensions, accessories, materials and finishes.

It was also a rare opportunity to look over the motoring horizon to get an inside look at the future of vehicle propulsion technology. Of course, electric vehicles are certainly a fast-growing part of the motoring landscape. As such, several manufacturers were on hand to provide their expertise and their technological support for conversions, not only to electric but to alternative fuels.

Concurrently, our team also spent some valuable time with both federal and state officials to discuss the impact of new technologies on regulatory imperatives going forward.

So where does AMW’ J2X® stand in this regard? As a niche player in the classic sports vehicle segment, our company will continue to provide approved modern vehicles that meet the expectations of customers who are looking for a safe, reliable, comfortable and agile roadster. As technology and regulations evolve, our team enjoys the challenge of improving the J2X®’s functionality, while maintaining the classic look that it is so known for.