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LAS VEGAS (CNN/Money) – How many TVs does a car need, anyway? Evidently, as many as will fit, judging by the ever-increasing number of LCD screens, plasma screens and projector screens in custom cars on display at the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association trade show.
Horsepower, not screen size, is the metric that many people are more familiar with as a measure of automotive might. There is plenty of that on display here as well, right along with all the neon-lit speaker systems and video entertainment rooms rolling on glowing designer wheels. And speed and loud, gurgling tailpipes have not lost their place either.
It's not even open to the public, but the big SEMA show has become one of the biggest events on the nation's annual auto show calendar. It's also one of the weirdest.
The annual trade show attracts the interest, especially, of younger car enthusiasts who are most likely to be interested in the kinds of "aftermarket" items -- designer wheels, performance engine parts, aerodynamic body add-ons and such -- that are a main attraction of the show.
The first 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, and the show attracts about 2,000 exhibitors.
Even though the purpose of the show is for auto-parts makers to connect with the retailers and auto customizing shops that use their products, cars themselves are another big attraction. There will also be about 2,000 customized cars on display at the show.
Car companies will often give their latest models to customizing shops so that they can create "show-car" versions. There will be at least seven customized versions of the new Ford Fusion mid-sized sedan at the show, for example.
Carmakers want to show that their vehicles make good platforms for customization since that's often something that younger car buyers are looking for.
"The reasons Ford Design supports SEMA projects and travels to the show are to identify future design trends and take a look at what SEMA member companies can do to further enhance our products and gain consumer attention," Melvin Betancourt, design manager for Ford Vehicle Personalization, said in a company statement.
Likewise, General Motors will be showing off several different customized Chevrolet HHR wagons and Chevrolet Cobalt cars.
The Honda Civic, for example, owes much of its success to the car's popularity with young buyers who customize the car with aftermarket performance and body parts. Honda will be officially unveiling the redesigned Honda Civic Si, a high-performance version of the Civic, at the show this year.
Car customizing shops and performance shops also create cars independently to tout their capabilities.
Galpin Motors, a California auto dealership that specializes in customization, has created a customized Mazda5 for the show, said Beau Boeckmann, a company vice-president. The Mazda5 is a small van-like wagon with sliding doors and three rows of seats.
"We built a mobile tattoo parlor in ours," he said.
For a look at some of the custom cars from the show, see our gallery. We'll be updating the gallery throughout the day.
CNN.com and CNN/Money will have coverage from the show all week.
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