But, unlike in years past when glitzy displays dominated the Cobo Center show floor, those vehicles and others will be presented in a more subdued manner. 'The key word is efficiency, in both cars and displays,' said Joe Serra, senior co-chairman of the NAIAS and president of Grand Blanc-based Serra automotive. 'We will still be a global stage to the world, but perhaps with a little less glitz and glamour.' With repeated talk of the potential bankruptcy of automakers and portions of their supply base, 'there's no denying these are dire times,' Serra said Thursday in a speech to the Detroit Economic Club. Belt tightening forced six automakers to leave the Detroit show this year, but that has opened opportunities for others to step in. The number of exhibitors on the main floor and downstairs will be 'two above where we were last year, which quite frankly says a lot for the show,' Serra said. And some of those who had said they were not coming still will have vehicles on display thanks to local dealers that will provide vehicles, staging and staff. Those include Nissan and its luxury brand, Infiniti, as well as Mitsubishi. Aston Martin and Bugatti will fill some space left by smaller displays and the departure of other automakers and be joined by newcomers Lotus, Morgan, China's Brilliance Auto and Revenge Design. This will also 'mark the first show in which Tesla has had floor space at Cobo,' said Tesla spokeswoman Rachel Konrad. The California company plans to show its $109,000 electric roadster. Doug Fox of Ann Arbor Automotive is overseeing the move for Mitsubishi. The automaker is supplying a display kit that it uses for smaller regional shows for the dealers to use. They will be in the same area as had been planned, but use half the space to display about 12 vehicles, Fox said. Next year's show will have 45 vehicle unveilings, said Fox, who is co-chairman of the NAIAS, but that number could increase to more than 50, he said, as some manufacturers are still finalizing plans. This year, 54 vehicles were unveiled. But the percentage of those which are world premieres -- as opposed to a North American debuts -- will be up slightly, he said, in part because automakers such as General Motors Corp. and Volkswagen AG moved some of their reveals from the L.A. show to Detroit. The tone of the show is going to be business, with emphasis on the cars, Serra said, acknowledging that even with a government loan, the domestic automakers will have to downsize and change their business models, which will have an impact on the entire industry. Serra said he's worried about the 1.1 million people employed by dealers and laments the 700 dealers that have left the market this year and the 900 more expected to be gone in 2009 as the industry continues to constrict and the dealer body consolidates. For Dodge dealers like Carl Galeana, the latest setback is the move by Chrysler Financial to begin imposing fees on inventory that has been on the lot too long. Galeana said dealers are lobbying the financial arm to change its position. Despite the series of unprecedented hurdles for the industry today, 'dealers will always be a part of the equation,' Serra said. 'We're in this for the long haul. We don't intend to go anywhere.' You can reach Alisa Priddle at (313) 222-2504 or apriddledteom.