Forty years ago, the First Hawaiian International Auto Show debuted in Honolulu during a time when carmakers were producing inexpensive, fuel-efficient, compact economy vehicles to offset rising fuel prices.
Today, with fuel prices stable, it’s all about technology and additional cabin room with auto buyers seeking more bells and whistles and increasingly eschewing passenger cars in favor of pickups, sport utility vehicles and vans.
The newest wave of cars, crossover utility vehicles, trucks, SUVs, luxury cars and classics will be among more than 350 vehicles showcased during this week’s three-day auto show, which opens its doors at noon Friday at the Hawai‘i Convention Center.
| FIRST HAWAIIAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW
More than 350 vehicles will be on display
>> When: noon-10 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday
>> Where: Hawai’i Convention Center
>> Admission: $10 for adults and teens (13 and over), $8 for military (with any DOD ID), $7 for seniors (62 and older), free for kids (12 and younger)
>> Parking: On-site paid parking garage
>> Military two-fer Saturday: Buy one military admission, get one free (both military IDs needed)
To Do: First Hawaiian Auto Show, Primus, Willie K
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Among those vehicles featured are:
>> the Hyundai Kona, a compact SUV that is affordable (under $20,000) or can be loaded with options;
>> the Jaguar E-Pace, a luxury compact SUV that is one of a number of like-sized vehicles on the luxury side of a budget;
>> the Alfa Giulia, a premium sports sedan that was awarded the 2018 Motor Trend Car of the Year;
>> the Subaru Crosstrek, which has been redesigned bigger (it has been described as either a hatchback or a crossover) and is regarded as an all-purpose compact vehicle; and
>> the Ford F-150, a market-leading pickup that was named 2018 Motor Trend Truck of the Year.
Also on hand will be exotic vehicles such as a Ferrari Formula One racer provided by JN Automotive owner Brad Nicolai, developer of the Velocity dealerships on Kapiolani Boulevard.
“It’s the yin and yang of beauty and performance,” Dave Rolf, executive director of the Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association, said about the Ferrari. “With a seemingly delicate front end but monster back end, it can take turns like it was on a train track but accelerate like it came out of a cannon muzzle.”
Exotic vehicles aside, the show will offer attendees the opportunity to explore new technology being offered in automobiles. Among those innovations are 360-degree cameras, crash-avoidance systems, inflatable seat belts, massive multimedia screens and integrated smartphone apps.
In 1977, First Hawaiian’s Walter Dods Jr., then the bank’s executive vice president in the retail banking group but later the chairman and CEO, came up with the idea to put together an auto show. He secured commitments from some dealers and the first show was held in the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall in 1978.
“The auto show paid off in commerce in that within a few years First Hawaiian Bank had the largest market share of new car loans provided by banks,” Rolf said.
In 2000 Nicolai, then president of the Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association, helped move the show to the convention center, which had 200,000 square feet of exhibit space, which was about double the size of the 100,000 square feet being used at the Blaisdell, including outside tents.
First Hawaiian continues as the title sponsor of the event while the Honolulu Star-Advertiser is the media sponsor and Texaco is the fuel sponsor. The show is produced by Motor Trend Auto Shows.
