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The Los Angeles Auto Show returned this year as a reminder that real American car culture refuses to be boxed in by Silicon Valley slogans and coastal wishful thinking. AutoMobility LA and the public show ran in late November, offering a public stage where real choices — not government diktats — could be seen and judged in person. For shoppers and working families, that freedom to choose matters more than any bureaucrat’s timeline for an all-electric future.
Perhaps the single most satisfying development was the sight of Scout making a bold, unapologetic return to the floor, with its Traveler SUV and Terra pickup on display for the first time in decades. Volkswagen’s revival of the classic American marque shows that heritage engineering and practicality still win votes with buyers who camp, tow, and work, not just commute to trendy offices. The LA show was the perfect place to prove the point that automakers who listen to customers — not regulators — can build the kinds of trucks and SUVs families actually want.
Scout’s concepts weren’t just pretty nostalgia; they were practical, with real-world options like extended-range generators and projected production timelines aiming at 2027 with accessible pricing under $60,000. That mix of electric capability and range-extending tech is exactly the kind of market-driven compromise that should be encouraged instead of punished by heavy-handed subsidies and one-size-fits-all edicts. It’s no accident Scout has already drawn tens of thousands of refundable reservations — Americans vote with their wallets when given options.
Jeep’s all-electric Recon also showed up to remind the show that off-road capability and American know-how aren’t going away because someone declared that combustion engines must. Packing Trail Rated branding and serious towing and capability credentials, the Recon proves electrification can be offered without betraying the rugged, take-it-anywhere spirit that built this country. Conservatives should celebrate companies that preserve capability and craftsmanship while giving buyers choice, not companies that force consumers into cornered decisions.
Even Rivian, once the darling of the EV cartel, is being pulled toward affordability and U.S.-based supply chains with next-gen batteries and a smaller R2 aimed at mainstream buyers. That pivot underlines a simple truth: free-market pressure and consumer demand, not top-down industrial planning, are steering the industry back toward sensible, competitive products. If Washington wants to help, sensible policy would remove punitive regulations, stop propping up failures, and let American manufacturing compete on a level playing field.
At the end of the day the LA Auto Show proved what conservatives have always argued — people crave choice, jobs, and honest value. The event drew huge crowds and millions in economic impact to Los Angeles, showcasing the kinds of vehicles that put working Americans first rather than serving as political poster children. Lawmakers and regulators would do well to listen to that message: protect the customer’s right to choose, support domestic production, and stop pretending there’s only one road to the future.
