If the world were left in the hands of pessimists, we'd be in a whole heap of trouble. What if Christopher Columbus hadn't been encouraged in his explorations by those who believed in his theory that the world was round and not flat? What if the Wright Brothers had been locked up in a loony bin and never experimented with passenger-carrying kites in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in October of 1900? If it weren't for Henry Ford cruising the streets of Detroit in 1896 in his first automobile, named the Quadricycle, where would off-roading, or modern transportation for that matter, be today?
Nowadays, technology moves quicker than ever, and it is changing the automotive industry as a whole. While there are positives and negatives to this evolution of knowledge, there are people who oppose it. Thirty years ago, who would have ever thought that an OE automotive manufacture would offer a factory supercharged 4x4 direct from the dealer showroom? What about an aftermarket manufacturer developing an upgrade that allows you to re-program shift points in the trans and adjust air/fuel mixtures from the cab? But the hottest trend or significant improvement for off-roading is the development of suspension systems that work better than ever. For instance, three-link and four-link suspension systems with perfectly valved coilover shocks are state-of-the art for fullsized trucks running solid axles, prerunners, and Jeep rockcrawlers. This advancement alone has made off-roading more fun and more challenging and pushes our favorite pastime to new limits.
As this issue of OFF-ROAD magazine goes to press, most of the aftermarket community is in a frenzy building vehicles and putting the final touches on new products for the annual SEMA (Specialty Equipment Manufactures Association) Show, held in Las Vegas. The show's significance is more important than we thought at first. While the big vehicle OE manufacturers and aftermarket companies push the limit in products for the New Year, it's the smaller companies that have the passion and forethought to take a chance and follow their ideas through to fruition, developing something new or cutting edge. It's where trends are born for the next year.
Where or how does it apply to you, the reader? First off, SEMA is a big kids' candy store. It displays everything imaginable for a gearhead. I guess where I'm going with this editorial is to motivate anyone that has an idea to harness it and follow through. If you were to do a survey and ask what the ideal job would be, most people would reply that it would be with something that they love to do, such as a hobby, or something to do with off-roading. So what are you waiting for? There is always room for growth in the industry, whether it's a cool new tool used in an off-road application or a new suspension design for a 4x4. Most successful companies started out small - as small as a one-man-show.
Although the SEMA Show is a trade show and generally not open to the public, you can count on us showcasing the new companies, products, and outrageous off-road vehicles from the event in a future issue.
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