People peered into engine compartments, took deep breaths of that expensive smell only new cars have and went down on hands and knees to gaze at the mystery of an automobile’s underside.
Others simply walked between the rows of sparkling, many-colored cars and trucks, appraising the latest that manufacturers have to offer.
It was all part of a well-established ritual which, dealers hope, will lead to a buy, over the weekend or during the next few weeks.
“People still have a love affair with vehicles. There’s still romanticism in these vehicles,’’ said Gary Palmer, general manager of Rogers Motors.
Rogers Motors was one of six Lewiston dealers participating in what has been termed the “centennial new car show and sale.’’ Organized by the Lewiston Auto Dealer’s Association, it began Friday afternoon at the Nez Perce County Fair Building, and is scheduled to close today at 5 p.m.
About 130 models from 22 brands are on display.
There was mixed assessment of the crowds flocking to the show.
Palmer said attendance was “outstanding’’ and added that people were waiting to enter when the doors opened Friday afternoon.
Nez Perce County Commissioner Leonard E. Williams, who was in the booth selling centennial souvenirs Saturday afternoon, said the crowd was thinner than last year’s, but could increase later in the day.
He added the display arranged by the dealers could not have been any better.
There appeared to be a return to favor of the bigger-sized cars, said Robert McClain of Gray Buick.
“We are selling the full size four-door cars and a lot of four-wheel-drive pickups. The people seem to be going back to the bigger-sized cars,’’ he said, and added. “Of course the bigger-sized cars have been scaled down a lot from what they were 6 or 7 years ago.’’
The most popular engine for cars was a six-cylinder, 3.8-liter unit, while for pickup trucks the favorite was an 8-cylinder, 5.7-liter machine, McClain said.
The sentiment was echoed by Palmer, who said, “Over the years you have seen the downsizing of the car.’’
The difference in dimensions, he said, is noticeable more in the exteriors of the cars than the interiors. “There’s no question American manufacturers have learned from their import counterparts about car building,’’ he said.
Pastels have lost ground over the years, Palmer said, and colors with more sparkle, particularly metallic colors have become popular. Red is a popular color at car shows because it “jumps out and says buy me.’’
“Going back a few years ... you are seeing a return to a true sports car,’’ Palmer said, commenting on other changes that have taken place, and pointing to some sporty cars on display.
One of these was the Mazda Miata, which was introduced to acclaim last year.
Four-wheel-drive trucks of “import size’’ proved the most popular at his dealership during the show, followed by cars priced in the $10,000 to $14,000 range, Palmer said.
Buyers were interested in getting all the options, but decided against power windows and locks if the price was not right. Power windows and locks can add $450 to $500 to the price, he said.
This story was published in the Feb. 11, 1990, edition of the Lewiston Tribune.
