(autoinsidernews) - General Motors is not the only domestic automaker making a big splash at the 40th Annual Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show. Ford Motor also will be flexing its muscles at SEMA, which begins today in Las Vegas, with more than 30 customized vehicles. Two of the most accessorized vehicles in the country are Ford products the F-150 and Mustang and is beginning to become a bigger player in the $34 billion specialty automotive business, reports Trend.
Ford's Vehicle Personalization business is growing faster than the aftermarket or other automakers, said Christine Feuell, manager, Ford Vehicle Personalization and Accessories. This year alone, we've seen growth that's five times more than the aftermarket while some of our competitors are seeing declines.
Center stage for Ford will be a customized Ford F-150 FX2 Sport pickup, a
Ford Mustang convertible and the new 2007 Ford Edge. All of the vehicles are outfitted with components from the Genuine Parts catalogs, Ford Licensed Accessories and the Ford Racing Performance Parts (FRPP) catalog.
The lines between custom vehicles from the factory and the aftermarket are blurring as customers demand more choice, said Feuell. We believe we are one of the leaders of this trend.
People are turned on by what looks cool and different, and if they can make their vehicles look a little bit different from what's in dealer stock by just changing a headlamp or putting on a different grille or adding some chrome accents, then it's a pretty cost-effective way to make their vehicle more theirs, added Feuell. And that's really what personalization is all about.