Consumer Reports, a monthly US magazine published by information organization Consumers Union, said that 73 percent of adults whose household owns a vehicle had personalized their principal vehicle via some aftermarket mods, or intend to do so.

The survey reveals that car personalization cuts across all major demographic segments, whether the car was purchased new or used. It adds that average spending on aftermarket mods of automotive enthusiasts stands at $711 per car, or an estimated $13.5 billion annually for the total population of car owners ages 18 to 64.

The survey defines personalization as any aftermarket modification from the new or used vehicle’s original condition, made or planned after sale by the owner. It reports that the most common aftermarket upgrade is floor mats but the enhancements range all the way to the performance end of the vehicle.

To learn what aftermarket products Americans buy for their cars, and why, the national research center of Consumer Reports conducted a random, nationwide telephone survey from Oct. 12 to 15 last year, with a survey population of 855 adults ages 18 and older whose household owns at least one vehicle.

The study finds out that both sexes are engaged in car personalizing, with 77 percent of men and 70 percent of women participating in the aftermarket mods tradition. It adds that, despite the effects of car-related movies, TV shows, and video games on the youth, age groups defy stereotypes and are likely to follow their own style. Expectedly, the 18- to 34-year-olds are the most active group—78 percent enhance their ride—while 35- to 54-year-olds follow at 74 percent, and the 55-and-over crowd is involved at 68 percent.

Most aftermarket modifications were done to the interior, with 61 percent of respondents who own a car making the cabin more comfortable and conducive to their mobile lifestyle. Aftermarket floor mats lead the changes at 49 percent. An easy install item, floor mats are not standard on all cars and may be less expensive when bought in the aftermarket segment of the automotive industry.

Plus, custom-made aftermarket floor mats are said to add character to the car, while deep, rubber mats can protect against mud and snow. Other low-cost, low-effort aftermarket upgrades include steering wheel cover (18 percent), seat covers (17 percent), shift knob (5 percent), and dash appliqués (4 percent).

The study likewise reveals that half the car owners surveyed plan to change, or have changed, in-car electronics, with stereo systems heading the list at 28 percent, despite the trend in factory-supplied units sounding better and being increasingly difficult to replace. At 22 percent, aftermarket car alarms and speakers are also common.

Satellite radio units are logged in at 13 percent—a relatively strong return considering that many new car models offer Sirius or XM systems as standard or optional features. Hands-free cellphone setups also came in at 13 percent. Consumers also looked to high-tech luxuries, such as video systems (10 percent) and navigation systems (9 percent).

A third of consumers pursued the exterior modifications in some way, led by aftermarket performance headlights or fog lights (11 percent). Three-quarters of pickup truck owners surveyed have installed, or plan to install, an aftermarket bedliner. This is a significant figure considering some models, such as the Chevrolet Avalanche and Honda Ridgeline, come stockfitted with bedliners.

Other aftermarket modifications are less common and split between cosmetic and functional. At 7 percent, aftermarket spoilers were next in the ranking order, trailed by roof/bike racks (6 percent), brush guards (6 percent), and pin stripes or other body art (5 percent).

On the performance end of the vehicle, the most common powertrain upgrades focused on improved engine breathing, with the aftermarket performance air filter or intake leading at 17 percent, and aftermarket performance exhaust or muffler at 11 percent.

One in 20 drivers, or 5 percent, have made or intend to make a significant performance commitment by adding an aftermarket turbocharger or supercharger, devices that force air into the engine to generate more horsepower. With similar popularity, enthusiasts installed aftermarket performance computer chips (6 percent) and new pulleys (4 percent).

Chassis modifications are made by, or planned by, one-third of personalizers, led by one of the most-effective component upgrades: performance tires (17 percent). Aftermarket wheels followed at 12 percent.

Strong economic growth, coupled with low car ownership rates and rising incomes, has turned Asia into a gold mine for the aftermarket segment of the automotive industry, said an Asian Supplier Report released by SupplierBusiness. The eventual focus shift to Asia of both auto parts manufacturers and retailers has led to a rapid growth in auto parts assembly in many parts of Asia, most notably China, Japan, India and South Korea.

Fueled by personalization and power tuning trends, the aftermarket industry has gone through a complete remodelling over the past decade, which has led to the emergence of a highly competitive auto parts industry. Multinational car manufacturers, likewise, have turned to Asia for the auto parts industry supply chain, and have started using local Asian suppliers for their regional and global auto parts needs.

The report, on the other hand, sounded the bell on the challenges for local and global suppliers that the focus shift presents. Small and medium size aftermarket parts suppliers are being forced to advance technological expertise as rapidly as possible, alongside meeting the requirements of much improved aftermarket quality and delivery performance.

Although targeted initially at servicing the burgeoning local aftermarket sector, new investments by suppliers could also become future substantial low-cost export bases for auto parts, the report added.

Meanwhile, in Japan, auto parts manufacturer Aisin Seiki Co. is set to spend around $81 million to put in a new engine parts production line at a subsidiary’s main plant in southern Japan, Kyodo News reported Tuesday. The increased production capacity from the line in Kumamoto prefecture will go to meet growing demand from automakers in the region and overseas.

The new facility, due to begin commercial production in September next year, is expected to generate annual sales of $63 million through March 2011, said Aisin Seiki. Construction on the line will begin in December.

The booming aftermarket business in Asia provides a sharp contrast to the fortunes of its counterparts in the US. Last week, a Florida-based auto parts manufacturer called Dura Automotive system has closed shop as it restructures operations—including divesting businesses and moving work to lower-cost facilities, a company spokesperson said. The company makes parking brakes, door frames and other products for Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp. and the aftermarket segment.

Also last week, the federal Environmental Protection Agency proposed the tightening of the nation’s ozone emission standard from its current 0.08 parts per million to 0.075 parts per million or lower. The proposed federal standard for ozone emissions, analysts said, could cost aftermarket auto parts manufacturers and energy producers millions to try to comply with federal clean air laws.

The agency said the standard upgrade is a part of a mandatory five-year review of the country’s ozone law. Ozone, a concoction of nitrogen oxide and other organic particles, occurs naturally in Earth’s stratosphere, where it acts as a buffer against ultraviolet rays. But on hot summer days, the sun’s heat combined with auto emissions, factory smoke and other processes can create a stifling blanket of ozone at ground level that can cause breathing difficulty, lung damage and heart problems.

With a little help from The Fast and the Furious trilogy and cable TV shows like Pimp My Ride and Overhaulin’, the aftermarket parts segment of the automotive industry is experiencing record sales this year, the Specialty Equipment Market Association said in a report released early in the week.

The report, commissioned by the trade organization that represents nearly 7,000 companies in the automotive specialty-equipment industry, said spending on automotive accessories was up 7 percent last year to $36.7 billion. It added that an average yearly growth of 7.4 percent over the past 10 years was recorded, spanning the whole range of the aftermarket parts business from tires and wheels to engine system components.

It might be chrome wheels the size of hula hoops for a 1985 Chevy, a lift kit on a 4X4, high-compression heads for a Honda, or a supercharger designed to give the car extra power. Whatever the vehicle, aftermarket products are available for any individual’s taste and car designs. And the aftermarket business, including new-car dealerships, are paying close attention, expanding their lineup of parts and cashing in on the personalization trend that has presently seeing considerable growth.

“Lifting is huge. We’re doing a ton of that, and (our shops are) staying booked up a couple weeks out. When a person is chasing that off-road look, it’s going to lead them to (buy) wheels, tires, grab-handles and steps to get into it,” said company manager Brad Stevens of the Rick’s Pro Truck.

Aftermarket tuning, for both looks and performance, is a practice as old as the Model T. But its popularity has been supercharged in the past decade, reaching beyond the dedicated car culture. Peter MacGillivray, SEMA vice president of communication and events, said Americans love to personalize.

“This latest business (for the automotive aftermarket) is represented by mainstream consumers buying into the notion of customization. TiVo lets people customize their television watching, cell phones with custom ring tones and backgrounds and think about Starbucks’ ability to make coffee exactly to your taste,” he said.

“Performance can be addictive, like a drug. You’ll have guys come in and want an exhaust system, then nitrous, then everything else. A lot of guys are do-it-your-selfers. They want to build up their cars to their own specs. Some guys will come in one weekend and drop $1,000 on parts then be back the next weekend wanting more,” he said.

The trick to operating the aftermarket business, Inman said, is knowing what products people will want and to give them installation advice. The wall behind his checkout counter is covered in sandwich-sized bags of blue metal fittings.

“Those are replacement parts for nitrous systems. And we sell a lot of them. Some might be $5 and some might be $30, but guys installing a system might drop $250 on fittings alone,” he said. “They may be little parts, but people depend on us to have them in stock. Our customers need to be able to walk in and get it or else they can’t go racing that night.”

Another significant part of the aftermarket’s business comes from dress-up parts, such as stick-on chrome fender portholes, jewel-box tail lamps and exhaust tips. Fashion-conscious buyers might pick out a set of plus-sized wheels, chrome door handles or a custom grille at an outlet such as Big 10 Tires and Accessories.

As increased gas prices have hurt the truck market—and consequently the truck aftermarket—Glenn Powels, manager at Big 10’s State Street Jackson location, keeps his stock balanced between truck and car accessories.

“We see the market turning toward cars, particularly the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300. People still want a full-sized vehicle but one with better gas mileage,” he said. “You see this more selling to the 20- to 40-year-old demographic. I’d say it’s 70 percent male, 30 percent female.”

The aftermarket has become so personalized Powels stocks different wheels, knowing what look will appeal to men and what will catch a woman’s eye. Area dealers are increasingly offering new and used cars with aftermarket add-ons. A majority of the cars on his lot have some aftermarket upgrade— anywhere from window tint to a lift kit—some of which are installed by dealership mechanics. Other work is subcontracted to aftermarket shops.

“It not really everything you need, its everything you want,” he said. “It taps into a passion of people.”

The annual Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo will have its first ever “Green Zone” to highlight environmentally friendly products, tools and services. The aftermarket expo “Green Zone” will feature products that service providers and retailers can sell to consumers to help make their vehicles more efficient and environmentally friendly.

It also will have aftermarket tools and diagnostic equipment used to repair new green cars, as well as suppliers that recycle waste or remanufacture parts, or that have environmentally friendly aftermarket parts.

“The automotive aftermarket is one of the most environmentally friendly industries in the world,” said Bill Glasgow Sr., show manager of the aftermarket expo. “The ‘Green Zone’ will provide an exceptional opportunity for suppliers to showcase their products to the aftermarket, and for retailers and service shops to advance their expertise in this field,” he added.

The aftermarket expo will be located in the Venetian Hotel Ballroom that adjoins the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1. In addition, many aftermarket parts exhibitors will promote their company’s green practices at the show, including environmentally friendly manufacturing processes and training programs to encourage employees to be environmentally responsible.

The “Green Zone” is the annual business-to-business trade show representing the global automotive aftermarket and features more than 2,000 exhibitors. The aftermarket expo is jointly sponsored by the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association and the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association.

The aftermarket auto parts association said this year’s exhibit area will feature products that manufacturers from every segment of the automotive industry, from tire dealers to service centers and automotive retailers, can offer to help make consumer vehicles “more efficient and environmentally friendly,” including tools and diagnostic equipment used to repair new green cars, and suppliers that recycle waste or remanufacture parts or that offer environmentally friendly aftermarket parts.

The aftermarket parts expo comes on the heels of recent report from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders that pins the increase of carbon dioxide emission from the rising weight of production cars. The association helps address this problem by introducing aftermarket parts designed to give the cars less load.

“Weight has been increasing by about 1.5% per year over the last 10 years,” confirms Greg Archer, director of the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership. The automotive weight-gain is counter-intuitive, given that cars these days are built using lighter and more rigid steel than in the past.

The result of all this added weight being piled into cars—which have been designed more for visual impact than for efficient streamlining—is increased fuel consumption and, thus, a rise in emissions of carbon dioxide.

That is significant, given that 10 percent of the energy consumed during a car’s life goes into its production, with a further 5 percent consumed during its dismantling and recycling. In addition, petrol and diesel engines have become ever more efficient.

As it happens, consumers are gradually turning towards green cars, and the industry is already making the most of any green credentials they identify. This, however, has led to accusations of “green-washing,” where some automotive firms make out that their solutions are better than they actually are. The aftermarket expo seeks to show in the Green Zone the capacity of today’s green auto parts.

A high-tech aftermarket spark plug that its US manufacturer said can dramatically boost both automotive performance and fuel efficiency is on pipeline.

“Virtually all spark plugs today have 50 watts of peak discharge power,” said Enerpulse chief executive officer Daniel Parker. “What we’ve found out is that by putting a pulse circuit on top of a spark plug, we can increase spark plug output by [up to] 1 million [watts].”

And with Congress poised to crack down on the automotive industry with the biggest boost in fuel efficiency standards in two decades, US car companies are scrambling to do what they can to improve fuel economy after years of sating Americans’ appetites for gas-guzzling sport-utility vehicles and trucks.

Aftermarket parts manufacturer Enerpulse seems to take the slow approach to tackling that problem. While Japanese automakers have advanced gas-electric hybrid cars and startups are working out the kinks of electric vehicles, the big American car companies are stuck with trying to improve the fuel efficiency of vehicles with five-liter, six-cylinder engines, the sort of cars Americans seem to love.

Instead of coming up with an entirely new type of vehicle, Enerpulse wants to use its pulse circuit aftermarket spark plug to improve the fuel economy of conventional cars by 4 percent to 12 percent, Parker said.

“American companies have had to do some catching up,” Parker said. But “to increase fuel economy by half a percent or a percent is a monumental task in the automobile world. And it’s complicated by the fact that big SUV models are very popular among consumers.”

Enerpulse says its Pulstar aftermarket pulse plugs, launched in June, increase combustion efficiency by burning fuel more completely and at a faster rate. Ultimately, that means getting more energy out of the combustion process and higher performance on hills and such.

Other startups, such as Venrock-backed Transonic Combustion and Italy’s Nevis Engine Company, are also working to improve the efficiency of conventional cars, mainly their engines.

Prior to Pulstar, Enerpulse, which was founded in 1996 with angel money, sold about 100,000 units of a kit that came with a spark plug and pulse circuit, mainly for the aftermarket. But the package was complicated to install and took up too much space, according to Parker, who sees it as part of Enerpulse’s development phase.

In 2004, Altira invested $2.6 million in the company to fund the development of the Pulstar aftermarket spark plug, which is preassembled and is the size of a state-of-the-art aftermarket spark plug (about 3 inches long and a half-inch in diameter).

Working out the bugs took more than three years, even with the help of testers at Sandia National Laboratories. “You have to put an awful lot of technology in a very small package,” said Parker, who added that a European and an American car company have agreed to test the product on their vehicles.

Though the SUV and light truck market is Enerpulse’s long-term target, the Pulstar won’t likely go into new cars through OEM agreements and is likely to stay in the aftermarket segment of the automotive industry for at least another two years, Parker said. Early adopters are more likely to be drivers of sporty cars who want a little more zip.

Continuation

The future has a way of arriving unannounced. In the automotive industry it has often been the case that a particular part is already widely used even before one can get to fit it on his car…Following are some of the more prominent aftermarket products that have since become must-haves for every car. It is interesting to note that most, if not all, of these aftermarket auto parts have an OEM counterpart.

Coilovers

Suspension tuning has transgressed into a new generation of performance tuning as today’s sport compact cars and their owners demand a suspension that can handle the demands of both road racing vehicles and street-tuned machines.

In 1990, TEIN Japan, established in 1985, began production of aftermarket suspension products (Type H damper) and became one of the more popular companies to develop a full body aftermarket coilover setup at a reasonable price. The TEIN H damper was designed primarily for the sport compact market in Japan during an era when spring and shock combinations were commonly used.

Exhaust Systems

In the late ’80s, if you were old enough to drive at the time, you found yourself sitting at the local muffler shop for over two hours as the resident welder concocted a pinch-bent exhaust system complete with a popular oval-style muffler known back then as the “Sonic Turbo exhaust.” As time evolved, so had the design of the aftermarket exhaust system for import vehicles.

Aftermarket auto parts manufacturers such as A’PEXi, were one of the first JDM manufacturers to offer a bolt-on exhaust system called the “Dunk,” complete with a canister-style muffler which was unheard of or seen at the time. While the exhaust canister was larger in size compared to the oval muffler, the DUNK canister setup quickly caught fire throughout Japan and filtered to the US as the new must-have product.

Front End Converters

Chances are, at one time or another you either owned or knew of someone who upgraded their cars with a set of clear corner lights. As quickly as the clear corner light trend grew in popularity, it slowly became a dying fad.

The more serious aftermarket enthusiasts stepped things up a notch as they enlisted the help of various companies to ship complete front ends from Honda Type Rs or Nissan Silvias with the goal of replicating aftermarket products and authenticate the genuine look.

Aftermarket Wheels

Today’s aftermarket wheels and their eclectic designs have been a major contributing factor among the growth of the aftermarket import market. Today’s more popular aftermarket wheels are more subtle in appearance, with less chrome and more focus on performance. The first three-piece rim developed in the aftermarket segment was in 1971 by Speed Star Racing otherwise known as SSR. The Mark -1 (MK-1) which looked similar to America’s Centerline rims, was proceeded by the next generation of three-piece wheels known as the MK-2 during the same year.

In 1972, the MK-3 completed the Mark series as the first-known company to develop a true three-piece aftermarket wheel within the JDM market. Over 30 years have elapsed since the debut of the MK series, but exciting news has recently developed as all three rims have recently been on the comeback trail after more than three generations. Tanabe USA has begun selling new batches of these once-rare wheels to the general public along with its optional center caps.

Carbon-Fiber Hoods and Aerodynamics

Carbon fiber spawns the dawn of a new era as fiberglass body panels, hoods, and wings have become second best to this lightweight and durable product. Carbon fiber has been available for over 50 years with its earliest history in the aerospace and military industries.

Although Ford Motor Corp. designed a carbon-fiber composite prototype vehicle in 1977, it was the aftermarket segment who implemented CF onto their daily drivers and weekend track cars. Aftermarket manufacturers began using carbon-fiber products to decrease weight while other companies sold the CF concept from an aesthetical approach, offering its unique looks and contemporary styling to sport compact enthusiasts.

Carbon-fiber GT wings, diffusers and canards made their way onto the aftermarket industry as all three products brought aerodynamics and functionality to vehicles participating in time attack or drifting competitions.

The HKS CT230R EVO, shod in a full carbon body is a prime example of sophisticated engineering and lightweight carbon body construction as the vehicle set a new course record at Tsukuba Circuit in 2006 with a time of 53.999 seconds.

Turbo Timers

While we can’t prove that the aftermarket segment was first to develop the turbo timer, we found an intriguing piece of history from HKS of Japan that dates back to the early 1980’s—and by the looks of ancient piece, you know this thing is old school!

The turbo timer proved to be an invaluable tool among performance enthusiasts as the engine goes through a cool-down period to prevent premature turbo wear and failure. Today, we find this simple, yet effective electronic device used in every performance turbo vehicle, ranging from mild to wild.

The future has a way of arriving unannounced. In the automotive industry it has often been the case that a particular part is already widely used even before one can get to fit it on his car.

Because original equipment manufacturers, where the stock parts of our cars come from, have to walk the line of acceptability and conformity in making auto parts for mass-produced vehicles, it is not typically expected to come out with a technology likely to push the industry standard.

Original equipment manufacturers set the world standard, but it is from a segment of the industry called the aftermarket where the idea that has since become the standard originates.

Composed of a small network of auto parts manufacturers, the aftermarket industry is primarily intended to provide replacement parts for OEM auto parts. It is not unusual that OEM eclipses the aftermarket in resources, but the aftermarket has played an integral role in shaping the sport compact market across the globe as much as the OEM.

From the first aftermarket turbo kit designed for passenger cars to the conception of carbon-fiber hoods on sport compacts, the aftermarket segment of the industry has led the way in pioneering many of the parts we use at the track or showcase at events on our vehicles today.

Following is some of the more prominent aftermarket products that have since become must-haves for every car. It is interesting to note that most, if not all, of these aftermarket auto parts have an OEM counterpart.

Turbo Kits

It’s been 33 years since the first aftermarket turbo kit was introduced. Now, car owners are engulfed with hundreds of aftermarket companies selling turbo kits. Many of which owe a debt of gratitude to the men of Japan who kick-started the movement. In 1974 Hiroyuki Hasegawa, founder of afternarket parts manufacturer HKS Japan, was accredited with designing and building the first aftermarket turbocharger for passenger cars.

The aftermarket turbo kit was first used on an L20B engine of the 240Z, and proved to be a ground breaking movement among the automotive performance world. While HKS was the first to design and build an aftermarket turbo kit, it was GReddy Japan who brought to the market the very first 50-state legal turbo kit for the ‘92-95 Honda Civic.

With the US government imposing strict emissions rules, GReddy played it smart by offering an aftermarket kit that consumers could install without the fear of being pulled over.

Reclineable Seats and Racing Harnesses

While aftermarket reclineable and bucket seats continually flood the aftermarket scene, BRIDE of Japan has continued to show a strong presence in the land of the rising run for over a decade. The BRIX reclinable model, the first seat developed through BRIDE, has proven to be popular among Japanese circuit racing competitors, while the more average street enthusiasts were found cruising the streets of Japan in their daily drivers using the same seats.

Takata harnesses, renowned for its bright green coloring, have been a staple aftermarket product within the motor sports world throughout much of Japan. Manufactured with strict FIA regulations, the Takata 4-point and 5-point harnesses have protected drivers in even the most strenuous conditions such as the GT 300 and 500 Championship series. While US guidelines only approve of SFI certifications on both seats and seatbelt harnesses, U.S. residents and JDM enthusiasts don’t seem to mind this minor setback as both seats and harnesses have been on a solid sales incline over the past few years.

Body Kits

Veilside was one of the first aftermarket body kits sold in the US to catch the attention of mainland car owners—well before the whole F&F craze took to the big screen. Introduced in the early ’90s, Veilside quickly gained popularity among Supra and RX7 (FD3S) owners as a new radical concept in body design.

Veilside and companies like Mugen spawned the dawn of a new era in body kits as US manufacturers took notice and began designing their own kits while others took the simpler path and began gray marketing the more popular Japan-made body kits to much dismay.

(To be continued)

How your car, minivan or SUV performs ultimately depends on the type of vehicle you drive and what it was designed for in the first place. However, new technology in premium aftermarket spark plugs allows drivers to extract the best performance their vehicles can offer without compromising fuel economy.

“From copper to platinum and iridium—modern spark plugs help motorists get a lot closer to experiencing the highest level of performance and fuel economy their vehicle is capable of producing,” said Reid Smith, product manager for spark plugs for Robert Bosch LLC, a leading supplier of premium spark plugs to vehicle manufacturers and the aftermarket and a pioneer in the development of spark plug technology.

Within a vehicle’s ignition system, the spark plug serves to ignite the air-fuel mixture which, in turn, produces the energy that moves a car. Over time and after thousands of miles, spark plugs may begin to show wear between the electrodes.

According to Smith, this wear increases stress on the ignition system and can prevent the spark plug from igniting the air-fuel mixture efficiently. When this happens, the car’s performance and gas mileage both decline.

The biggest waste of gas is an inefficient engine, commonly shown to the driver through an illuminated check engine light. Often, repair or replacement of malfunctioning car parts such as mass airflow sensors, oxygen sensors and others will frequently restore fuel efficiency. A properly operating ignition and emissions system can improve gas mileage by up to 40 percent.

“Fresh premium spark plugs help extract more energy from the same amount of gas,” said Smith. They improve the transfer of energy from the ignition system to the fuel, thus offering improved fuel efficiency and more power.

The Car Care Council, a consumer organization for motorists, said “a dirty spark causes misfiring; and inefficient combustion caused by worn spark plugs wastes fuel.”

To meet the growing demand for performance and efficiency, aftermarket automotive parts supplier Bosch has upgraded and expanded its entire line of premium spark plugs to suit every driver’s taste.

Bosch’s new technology-based Platinum Ir Fusion is the industry’s only aftermarket spark plug that combines iridium and platinum in a patented fused fine wire center electrode design, Smith said.

On-road testing by Bosch indicates that the reduced gap wear of the Bosch Platinum Ir Fusion lowers the voltage requirement on the ignition system, yielding better, more consistent performance and longer service life, Smith said. The Fusion is now available for virtually all domestic and imported vehicles.

A properly tuned engine can increase fuel efficiency from 4 percent to 20 percent, saving 26 cents a gallon. As part of a modern day tune-up, ignition and fuel systems should be inspected to improve performance and maintain the reliability of a vehicle.

According to the Car Care Council, a typical aftermarket spark plug fires as many as 3 million times every 1,000 miles, resulting in a lot of heat and electrical and chemical erosion. A dirty spark plug causes misfiring, which wastes fuel. Spark plugs need to be replaced regularly.

The Hot Rod industry is set to boost the automotive market on Aug. 8 as Eaton Corp. and Promotion Co. hold the annual Dream Cruise, an aftermarket auto parts shopping mall for automotive performance enthusiasts, at the Memorial Park in Royal Oak.

The Dream Cruise runs along 16 miles of Woodward Avenue through nine communities. It reportedly attracts about 1 million visitors annually and some 40,000 owners of classic, muscle, custom and collector vehicles. The first cruise was in 1995 and designed to raise funds for a children’s soccer field.

The event generates a minimum of $100 million for businesses along the route in cities including Berkley, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, Ferndale, Huntington Woods, Pleasant Ridge, Pontiac and Royal Oak.

The Eaton Performance Park will feature prominent aftermarket retailers such as Eaton, Barry Grant, Cherry Bomb, Comp Performance Group, Dynomax, K&N and Year One, said James “Jim” Parks, global communications manager of Eaton.

Eaton is a diversified industrial manufacturer of automotive, aerospace, electrical systems and automotive aftermarket products with 61,000 employees in 125 countries.

Live entertainment and family rides will be offered at the park as well as local food vendors. There will be dozens of award-winning vehicles on display, Parks said.

The Woodward Dream Cruise celebrates the heydays of the ‘50s and ‘60s when Woodward Avenue was the heart and soul of cruising in the city that put America on wheels.

Combined with music and fashions of the era, the Dream Cruise is set to celebrate the car culture that made performance cars special. The Woodward Dream Cruise is sponsored by a volunteer committee that coordinates the efforts of the nine host cities, the County of Oakland, media organizations, transportation authorities, corporations, small businesses and charities.

“The Woodward Dream Cruise is one of the country’s greatest car culture events,” said Victor Ruthig, vice president of sales and marketing of The Promotion Co. of Indianapolis.

Eaton has its headquarters in Cleveland but has automotive offices in Southfield, Parks said. Eaton has been a longtime major sponsor of the Dream Cruise. It became the event’s first official sponsor in 1999 and remains one of the event’s largest corporate supporters, he said.

“Vehicle customization and performance enhancement were a big part of the 1950s and ’60s cruising scene, and it remains an important part of the Dream Cruise and car shows today,” said Jeff Romig, Eaton vice president and general manager for performance products division.

“The Dream Cruise itself is large and somewhat unwieldy and a lot of retailers get lost trying to reach the public,” he said. “We’re hopeful that the mall concept will give people a reason to come by the park and do a little shopping while also looking at beautiful cars and displays.”

Eaton and The Promotion Co. have rented parts of the 24-acre Memorial Park at 13 Mile Road and Woodward Avenue in Royal Oak on Aug. 17-18 to have exhibitors display their auto-related and aftermarket products to the public at no charge. The park will be open to visitors from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. each day.

“What we were able to do was get a prime spot on the Dream Cruise route” to allow exhibitors to be in one place to show off their products, Ruthig said.

The aftermarket automotive business has gross sales of about $34 billion a year, Parks said.

Back in the ’60s, not a few doubted made-in-Japan imports. Flowing into the US market at a surprisingly steady and frightening pace, quality concerns met the peak of Japan exports. Now, it’s China’s turn to answer similar quality concerns as made-in-China auto parts flood the US automotive industry.

Aftermarket auto part exports from China witnessed a more than six-fold increase in the last five years from 2002–2006, breaching the $1 billion mark in April 2007 and rising among the rapidly growing category of Chinese industrial product sold overseas.

Over half of these auto parts are exported to US followed by Europe and Japan. The increase in China’s aftermarket auto part exports is an aspect of a broader scenario. China is shifting its focus from producing essential goods such as shoes, textiles, and toys towards producing high-value industrialized goods as the production of high-value goods provide better wages.

Rising output levels at Chinese aftermarket auto assembly plants are generating a huge demand for auto parts and creating the economies of large-scale production that was earlier possible only in North America, Europe and Japan.

Car exports to follow aftermarket auto parts

Chinese auto parts would soon find a demand in overseas markets not just in crates but also as part of fully assembled cars as several Chinese automakers are planning to export in the coming few years, said an RNCOS report titled “China Automobile Industry Forecast.”

RNCO, a global industry research firm, said Chinese auto parts in the aftermarket segment of the automotive industry would witness a good growth in the near future as global manufacturers look for local sourcing of the components. Domestic producers are looking for avenues of growth in the export market.

The report added that the revenue generated by the Chinese auto part market in the year 2005 to 2006, covering auto engines, parts, tyres and other related product exports, respectively generated foreign exchanges of approximately $22 Billion.

China’s shift from light to heft

To date, the Chinese government’s efforts to cultivate national champions in higher-end industries such as autos, aircraft and semiconductors have met with mixed results. Haier has carved out a profitable niche in the USA selling small refrigerators and other appliances. But Chinese automakers have penetrated only less competitive markets such as the Middle East.

US companies, which operate their own factories in China and use Chinese suppliers, say they employ rigorous safeguards to ensure that their goods are sound. Goodyear Tire & Rubber, for example, puts potential suppliers through an intense “process audit” of its production system and quality controls before placing its first order, Goodyear spokesman Ed Markey says.

‘If it doesn’t meet the standards, it’s destroyed’

Goodyear suppliers also must obtain a certification called “ISO 9000,” which attests to a company’s use of consistent quality procedures and must be periodically renewed.

The tiremaker has a corporate office in Shanghai, which allows it to maintain close oversight of a Chinese tire factory in nearby Hangzhou. That supplier began producing tires for Goodyear in the middle of last year, for sale in the USA under private-label brands, not the Goodyear name, Markey says.

Each tire that comes off the Chinese assembly line is individually balanced and visually inspected. “If it doesn’t meet the (Goodyear) standards, it’s destroyed,” Markey says.