NAIAS supplier guide: what's behind the show cars

Seductive surfaces and shocking shapes are what catches the eye at this annual winter mega-car-show in Detroit, but functional parts are key to a new model's ultimate success.

For automakers, how easy their new cars are on the eyes of media and consumers at events such as this month's North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit can have significant impact on how successful individual models are in the future. There's a lot of money riding on those shiny show cars.

For suppliers who equip those new cars, however, the beauty of making money is more than skin deep. For them, it's all about functionality. A little flying mud can mar the appearance of even the best-looking car, but it is no threat to the operation of its suspension, exhaust system, or any number of other combat-ready, under-skin systems. Nor does it degrade the performance of the onboard computers and electrical/electronics system. They may not look pretty doing it, but functional components and systems around which the attractive skin is wrapped get the job done in the prettiest-and ugliest-of conditions.