A visitor looks over a 2023 Corvette Stingray at the 29th annual Quad City Regional Auto Show on Friday, March 3, at the Bend XPO, East Moline. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Mark Smith of Blue Grass, Iowa, describes himself as “a car guy kicking some tires.” Over the weekend, Mr. Smith had a lot of tires to kick during the 29th annual Quad City Regional Auto Show which rolled in from Friday through Sunday, March 3-5, at the Bend XPO on East Moline’s riverfront. “I’m just […]
Mark Smith of Blue Grass, Iowa, describes himself as “a car guy kicking some tires.”Over the weekend, Mr. Smith had a lot of tires to kick during the 29th annual Quad City Regional Auto Show which rolled in from Friday through Sunday, March 3-5, at the Bend XPO on East Moline’s riverfront.“I’m just here to see what’s new. It’s good to see the new things,” added Mr. Smith, who was among thousands of Quad Citians looking over the new auto offerings.Two people take a look at a 2023 Ford Mustang on display Friday, March 3, during the 29th annual Quad City Regional Auto Show at the Bend XPO, East Moline. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSONThe show brought in other entertainment including a Toyota NASAR simulator, petting zoo, airbrush tattoos, balloon artists, and several classic vehicles displayed by the Antique Automobile Club of America. It also raised thousands of dollars for scholarships for local students.But the stars of the show for many visitors were the more than 150 new vehicles – complete with a lot of new technology – on display during the weekend.Classic cars also were on display during the 29th annual Quad City Regional Auto Show, held this past weekend at the Bend XPO, East Moline. Here, two men look over one of those classic vehicles. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON“Our success is due to the great support from all the participating dealers, manufacturers, exhibitors and generous sponsors,” Tom Pospisil, president of the auto show’s board of directors, said in a statement before the show.Some of the new vehicles attracting crowds during the first day of the show included:
2023 Corvette Stingray with a suggested retail price tag of about $97,700. At times, as many as 10 people were crowded around the car, perhaps daydreaming of owning the pricey vehicle.
2023 Ford Mustang GT Coupe with a suggested price of about $51,500.
2023 Honda Civic with a suggested price of about $27,000.
Several classic vehicles displayed by the Antique Automobile Club of America including a 1955 Chevy Cameo owned by Ron and Linda Nalevanko.
One of the opening day visitors was Ben Korte of Bettendorf. Like Mr. Smith and many others, he was at the show to kick some tires and have a look around.“We like to come here every year. It’s a lot of fun. It’s a good time to get some ideas for the future,” he said.Mr. Korte was also one of the many people to look over the pricey 2023 Corvette Stingray. When asked if that was his future car, he added: “Absolutely not.”Many of those in the auto business attending the show also noticed that at least Friday was a time many visitors were just looking and perhaps not interested in buying.“Right now, people are just opening doors and looking at storage space,” said Edgar Troche, a salesman with Green Chevrolet of East Moline. “Nobody has asked me yet if we have a certain model in stock. … This is just the ‘walk-through stage’ for many people.”Mr. Troche added that he was waiting for those questions because inventory on many models is way up this year compared to this time last year.That new inventory – at least the vehicles on display at the show – has certain themes, according to “car guy” Mr. Smith. He added that some of those themes included a lot more electric vehicles, and many autos with big display screens in the interiors.Others at the show said the themes centered on prices.“I’m just seeing how much they’ve raised the prices. Everything is so expensive anymore,” said Larry Peters, of Moline.In addition to the autos, the show raises money for student scholarships. This year, $51,000 was raised for 14 students.
College and university scholarship winners were:
Anne Turpin, Geneseo High School, $5,000.
Raymond Wiese, Moline High School, $3,000.
Deven Stief, North Scott High School, $4,000.
Nicholas Koustas, Geneseo High School, $3,000.
Ella Zillmer, Bettendorf High School, $4,000.
Abbey Smith, Davenport West High School, $3,000.
Ashley Smith, Davenport West High School, $3,000.
Megan Lindsly, Central DeWitt High School, $4,000.
Mercedes Hantz, Rock Island High School, $3,000.
Automotive/tech/trade scholarship winners were:
Jason Blick, Geneseo High School, $3,000.
Carson Miller, Galena High School, $4,000.
Noah Van Damme, United Township High School, $3,000.
Jade Bovee, United Township High School, $4,000.
Dalton Koenig-Plath, Mercer County High School, $5,000.
To date, the auto show has awarded more than $632,000 in scholarships to 192 area students in the last 29 years. Proceeds from the show support the scholarship fund.
