CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A multitude of new and old cars, trucks, SUVs and more will fill up the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center this weekend for the annual West Virginia Auto Show.
The event will take place this Friday and Saturday, Feb. 9 and 10 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 11 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the convention center.
An event spokesperson, Lisa Hunt, said on 580 LIVE’s Dave Allen Show that people look forward to the auto show every year to get a good view of their dream cars and those they may not have even been expecting to find all under one roof.
“It’s a great way for people to come in and see all of the different manufacturers in one site with no pressure, so we love for everybody to be able to come out,” Hunt said.
The show provides a wide layout of new luxury vehicles ranging from brands such as Cadillac, Lincoln, and Lexus, to a variety of classic cars, and every kind of practical, standard vehicle for everyday use, including brands from Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, GMC, Hyundai, KIA, and more.
Hunt said as it’s a non-selling environment, it’s a chance for people to look at their next vehicle without feeling the pressure to buy that they might feel more at a typical car lot, but they will still get any help they might need and all of their questions answered.
“We have knowledgeable staff there that can go over all of the features and benefits,” she said. “I don’t know about you, but when I get a new vehicle there’s so much in there now anymore that I need somebody to help me learn all of the things it can do, and when you can see those conveniences it’s just amazing.”
Hunt said, in addition, they will have a supply of new types of vehicles on display, as well, as she said the show only keeps growing.
“We’ve added some extra things, not only do we have the cars there, we also have motorcycles, RVs, ATVs, boats, so just to give everybody a little bit of something,” she said.
President of Astorg Auto Pre-Owned of Charleston, Jamie Spears, said they will be on display at the show. Astorg is a Mercedes, Volkswagen, Volvo, Landrover, and Audi dealership located along Corridor G in Charleston, in addition to having a dealership in Parkersburg.
Spears said they are really looking forward to the event this year, because, vehicle inventory isn’t as big of a restraint as it has been for the past two to three years.
“We’re starting to get all of our inventory back,” he said. “We’re still having challenges in some manufacturers it seems, but a lot of it is more in the parts side, they’re trying to build so many cars they can’t keep up with the parts.”
The auto industry has faced a number of challenges since the Covid-19 Pandemic including production halts, reduced vehicle sales, and supply chain disruptions.
The WV Auto Show actually kicks off tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 8 with a VIP Charity Gala. It’s a formal black-tie event previewing the show before it opens to the public on Friday.
That event will be from 6 to 9 p.m. and people can order their tickets for the gala here. All proceeds from that event will go to Good News Mountaineer Garage, a non-profit organization that takes repairable vehicle donations and distributes them to low-income families needing transportation to work.
On Sunday there will be something special for the kids at the auto show, which will include bounce houses, costume characters, fire engines, and police motorcycles.
Spears said this event is the opportunity for people to see nearly every ride that’s out on the market today, beyond what’s being offered at their local dealerships, as not all local dealerships can offer everything that’s available out there.
“In other cities throughout the state, not all of the dealers are in one place, I mean not every city has a Volvo dealer or a Lexus dealer or a Landrover dealer, so when they come to this they can look at all of the manufacturers all at once,” said Spears.
Tickets for the show itself can also be purchased on WV Auto Show’s website or at the door. The cost is $12 for adults ages 13 and over, $8 for seniors and veterans (with any DOD ID), and children 12 and under get in for free.
