NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Every year at about this time there's a car show in Las Vegas. This year, more than 100,000 people are attending and more than 2,000 cars and trucks are on display. But, unless you work in the auto industry or you have a press pass, you can't go.

Technically speaking, it isn't really a car show. The annual trade show for the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) is a car parts show. But car parts, of course, go on cars, so many of the biggest car manufacturers, car customizers and aftermarket parts companies have cars to show. Mostly, what they show are highly modified versions of their new models so car parts retailers can see what you, their customers could do if you if had some extra money, you were extremely skilled with a socket wrench and you were, more or less, out of your mind.

"SEMA Show is not a car show -- it is the fashion Mecca for trade, the Milan or Paris when it comes to the latest trends, innovations and technologies suited to both existing segments of the automotive consumer world and those being nurtured by our members," said Peter MacGillivray, SEMA vice president, marketing and communications.

The whole point of all this is to support a growing industry devoted to adding things to your car that weren't there when you bought it. The fist SEMA show, in 1967, had 97 exhibitors and 3,000 attendees. Today, aftermarket auto parts retailing is a $26-billion-a-year industry, according to SEMA.

In our galleries, you can see some of the cars that are on display at this year's Las Vegas SEMA Show as well as some of the items they're showing off.