hile many readers may never have the chance to actually attend the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas, it's safe to say that at the very least, they've heard of it. The "show" is so big that it encompasses over one million square feet of space--that's more footage than pretty much every truck show held each year combined. Add to that over 1,900 exhibitors (with well over 10,000 booths) and you have a solid week's worth of walking to cover all that floor space. For us, we had a day and a half to accomplish that feat this past November...it was no stroll in the park, but worth every minute, regardless of how brief.
Fortunately for us, a good majority of exhibitors on hand at SEMA were of the late-model/OE aftermarket nature, so having to see all the companies in the expanded wheel and tire building was not priority--unless we really wanted to see the latest jewel-encrusted 26-inchers or the vast array of exotic cars and SUVs with said rolling "stock." SEMA does a fantastic job of separating the sects of the aftermarket industry, namely the hot rod manufacturers/suppliers, making it easier for us to see the people we need to see without wearing the soles off our poor shoes.
2005 was another great year for the SEMA Show, and it wasn't a slouch for classic trucks and related accessories, either. To see what the hottest new products were, along with some of the hottest new trucks, just have a look-see at the following photos. For more information on the show or on any of SEMA's efforts concerning the aftermarket hobby, please visit www.sema.org.