Francine Cosker drove in from Old Saybrook to look at trucks, but she couldn’t help stopping and staring at the White Z06 Corvette. The $100,000 car was one of the highlights of the 2015 Connecticut International Auto Show.
“Seeing what they have and wishing you could have some of those cars,” said Cosker.
Ben Wilde of Essex said he was in the market for a new sports car. The show helped him narrow down his top three choices. He said he plans to buy one this week.
“I love fast cars,” said Wilde.
Show producer Barbara Pudney said 57 percent of attendees are in the market to buy. However, many visitors said they liked the fact they could sit in almost any car they like, without being pressured to purchase.
“You can see everything at the same time. You can compare things right next to each other, take pictures, get inside, everything without people bothering you,” said Stanley Guillette of Naugatuck.
Car sales are big business in Connecticut. According to the Connecticut Auto Association they accounted for 18 percent of the sales tax generated in the state last year.
Local
Outside the showroom floor was a look at the past and present. A collectors car dating back to 1908 was on display across from Lamborghinis and Bentleys. One the showroom floor were $4 million-worth of cars; many gave a glimpse into what we’ll be driving down the road.
“Some of these cars pretty closely drive themselves now, so the technology is really the future of autos today,” said Jim Fleming, CT Auto Association president.
Cars included features such has automatically breaking when you get too close to another car and keeping you in your lane when you drift. Many were more environmentally friendly, like ones that use hydro fuel cell technology that use water to produce electricity and those that stop idling when you’re stuck in traffic.
“All that stuff is coming so it’s interesting to see what’s in the future,” said Doug Hamel, who traveled from South Hadley, Massachusetts to see the show.
Visitors could plop down in the driver’s seat and feel what it’s really like to be behind the wheel of 100 makes and models. One car that they couldn’t sit in was the Alpha Romeo. Imports of the car to the US stopped nearly 40-years ago. Now, Fiat has begun selling it again. The Connecticut Auto Show included two vehicles, both roped off.
“What the auto show’s about is cars of your dreams, and the Alpha is definitely a car of your dreams,” said Pudney.
