We slogged through the rain and traffic all the way across town to the Javits Center for the 2009 New York Auto Show. No, it’s not Detroit or Geneva; but the show still has a fair share of announcements, plus a chance to see up close those cars that recently debuted in other cities.

So far, it’s really been an American show—with big debuts by GM and Chrysler. It was also the year of retro design and nostalgia. Pontiac brought out three new models, including a yet-to-be-named revival of its former El Camino car/truck hybrid—extolled by rapper 50 Cent. Dodge took us back to the seventies, introducing three versions of its revived Charger model. And Mercedes waxed poetic about the glory days of the 80’s, when its belching diesel sedans ruled the upper-class subdivisions. It also introduced SUVs using its new BlueTec clean diesel technology.

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