The first was in 2009, during the height of the financial crisis and ensuing bankruptcy of two of the Detroit 3 automakers.
Speaking with Automotive News (subscription required), Yoshiyasu Nao, the head of the Tokyo Motor Show’s organizing body, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), said he asked the Detroit 3 to attend but said they had declined.
Considering the best selling American marque in the Japanese market, Jeep, only managed 4,979 sales in all of 2012, it probably shouldn’t be much of a surprise the Detroit 3 aren’t presenting in Tokyo again. In fact, only 18 foreign brands will be present at this year’s event, up from only 15 at the previous one.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that there won’t be plenty of exciting announcements. A number of new models and concepts will make their debut in Tokyo including, possibly, a new Lexus crossover concept, the Nissan GT-R Nismo and a new sports car concept representing the joint sports car project of BMW and Toyota.
The 2013 Tokyo Motor Show commences on November 20. You can follow our ongoing coverage of the event via our dedicated hub.
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