The 51st annual SEMA ( Specialty Equipment Market Association ) automotive trade show took place from November 1st thru November 4th at the Las Vegas Convention Center and we were there to review all of the activities. If you’ve never attended it before, you’re missing a lot. Especially if you’re a car enthusiast, car collector, technician or related to the automotive industry in any way. Heck – if you just like looking at cool cars, this is the place to be every year. You simply will not find more equipment, cars and products on display, period.
Attendees measure in the hundreds of thousands every year and vendors and exhibitors number in the tens of thousands. There are many automotive industry celebrity appearances, along with events and shows for every age group, including battle of the builders, and drifting experiences. All the major auto manufacturers are there to show you the latest hot models coming down the pike, and if you’re an auto shop equipment vendor like us, there is a myriad of new product manufacturers for you to view, to provide you with new product ideas to offer.
Scroll down below to view some of the events and vendors we found to be interesting.
The Las Vegas Convention Center consists of numerous buildings of various sizes that can house hundreds of exhibitor booths in each. Plus, there is plenty of outside space where there were many events as well as seen below.
There were all kinds of sports and exotic cars if that’s what you like. More than you would find at any other automotive show nationwide.
There were plenty of classic cars as well, if you like your autos a little older.
And there were even some unique vehicles, such as the hugely popular monster truck – Grave Digger.
This 1951 modified Rolls Royce that was at the Optima Battery booth appeared on Jay Leno’s Garage.
Barrett Jackson auto auction was there displaying numerous old muscle cars, including this classic Chevelle.
The Wet Sounds booth features several pimped out autos, including this 1950 Cadillac named “Nightmare”.
We took the opportunity to say hi to some of the friendly people at the various display booths, including the Maxxis Wheels booth.
And of course, the main reason we were there was to preview some of our top manufacturer’s products. We carry dozens of different auto shop equipment manufacturers, and most of them were exhibiting at booths throughout the compound. And don’t forget, you can find all of these products on our web site. Here are some below –
Tuxedo Distributors is one of our favorite manufacturers. We’ve been carrying their equipment for over 12 years. They manufacturer great equipment lines including LaunchTech USA lifts, iDeal Automotive Products and Tuxedo Products. Plus, they’re some of the finest people in the industry.
Check out this short video clip showing their popular iDeal MSC6K-LP portable single post car lift –
Challenger Lifts is one of the premium names in garage lifts, so it should be no surprise that they would have one of the larger booths at the SEMA trade show in Las Vegas. They had many different lifts on display. We chose to highlight the LE10 two post lift, which is their mid-grade model. And just check out the new turf equipment arm option. If you want to raise tractors, ATV’s and other non-traditional vehicles, this optional attachment is a must have for you. Of course, the LE10 is ALI Certified, and boasts the Versymmetric feature, which allows you to position the auto symmetric or asymmetric. The best of both worlds!
Forward Lifts is another great lift manufacturer that is known throughout the world as a leader in quality. Yet they are surprisingly affordable. They offer 2 post and four post lifts, and most models are ALI Certified. Check out some of the two post models in our video below, including the I10 and F10 lifts.
CEMB USA is a major leader in wheel service equipment, including tire changers, wheel balancers and alignment machines. Most models are made proudly in Italy and are known for their premium features and capabilities. Check out the video below for one of their most popular CEMB tire changers, the model SM915.
Check this amazing product out. It’s the ESCO Mini Lift & Move. It offers features and capabilities you won’t find on any other car lift out there. It’s very cool. Plus, it’s manufactured in Europe, for ultimate quality and safety. It’s totally portable,has a 5,000 lb. capacity, is very quick and easy to use, and provides access to a strong majority of most automobiles.
Check out this sneak peak at a brand new 2 post portable lift by MAHA USA . This thing is totally unique. There’s nothing else out there like it on the market. It’s made in Germany and they call it the Finkbeiner lift. It is rated at 6500 lb. capacity and is powered by 12 volts DC, and it includes a 110V AC battery charger. It was made for those auto shops where you can’t, or don’t want to install a permanently mounted car hoist, but you still want the complete under-car access that a two post lift offers. We will have this model up on our web site very soon, so stay tuned.
This next statement is not hype – This is the absolute finest tire changer on the market today – Period. We realize this is a bold statement. But we’re confident it’s true. The Corghi Artiglio Master Code is a leverless, and truly touchless tire changer. Got some really stubborn run-flat tires? No problem. What about those expensive alloy rims with the low profile tires? No problem. Engineered and manufactured in Italy to the finest standards. Check it out below.
Check out the new line of welding helmets from SavePhace below. They have all kinds of different styles and features to choose from, and will add a dash of personality to your welding operations. View them on our web site here.
The Bone automotive garage creepers and rolling work seats are extremely well made and unique and popular and you can view them on our web site here.
The Hein Werner HW93852 and HW93642 are made in USA and are the premium brand of automotive hydraulic jacks on the market, and you can view them here.
The Pro-Lift line of Lawn Mower and utility lifts is perfect for folks who don’t want to get down on the ground to service their equipment. And you can view them on our web site here.
All in all, it was another banner year at the 2017 SEMA automotive industry trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada. There were many great events and plenty of cool and unique products to view. We hope you enjoyed this post and maybe found a product or two that you are interested in. And remember, we sell, service and can arrange for installation nationwide.