This year, VIAIR kicked off our 20th anniversary celebrations at the SEMA Show by unveiling new and revolutionary products, showcasing top-notch vehicles, and connecting with our customers and fans around the world.
The SEMA Show (Specialty Equipment Market Association) is the largest automotive trade show in the world, and consists of more than 6,000 automotive companies worldwide. These manufacturers, media, car dealers, distributors, installers, retailers, and restoration specialists met during the first week in November at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
During this week-long event, the SEMA Show brought the industry’s most creative builders and displayed the hottest new products together in one place. Attendees were provided educational seminars, product demonstrations, special events, networking opportunities, builder competitions, celebrity signings, and more.
Revolutionizing the Heart of Any Air Suspension System
This year, VIAIR unveiled our revolutionary Gen. 2 series compressors at the SEMA Show. For 20 years, VIAIR has led the air suspension industry with reliable, quality air compressors. Now, we’re introducing the next generation of excellence. These newly upgraded compressors feature a sleek new head design and patented internal component upgrades. Our Gen. 2 compressors will be coming soon!
We also introduced our exclusive “Limited Edition” compressors. The Limited Edition compressor features a defined, brushed platinum finish and a special 20 Years emblem. Only a select number of units will be built and reserved for notable builders. These compressors will only be available by invitation only and will not be for sale.
We launched our next generation of compressors in the same philosophy we’ve always had: that VIAIR is the heart of any air suspension system, and is a compressor company you can count on.
A compressor is a vital part of any air suspension system, so skimping on tried and true quality is the last thing you’d want to do. Think of it this way: the compressor is the heart of any air suspension system, the air bags are the lungs, the controller is the brain, and airlines are like veins through the body. If your heart fails, the rest of your body cannot function. The same idea applies to your air suspension system: buy a good quality heart, get a good running system. It’s as simple as that!
That’s why at this year’s SEMA, we revealed a real-life version of this message: an air suspension system in the form of a human body. This display was fabricated by one of the best – Sadistic Iron Werks.
Showcasing New Products
We also introduced our new 75P portable tire inflator for your daily driver. This compressor is a sleek, yet compact inflator capable of filling tires up to 225/60R18 to 60PSI by simply plugging into the cigarette lighter’s power port in your vehicle. The 75P has a max amp draw of 10A/120W, making it compatible in any vehicle on the road! Our 75P compressor is mounted to a rugged camo tin case, which functions as protection for the compressor, and also a carrying case! This portable unit makes it easy to store the product in your car’s trunk, keeping this portable air source with you on-the-go.
VIAIR was also excited to showcase our new Stealth Black Onboard Air Systems (OBAs) for our off-road enthusiasts, now available in Stealth Black (part numbers 20014, 20016 and 20020).These are of the same quality and parts as our original onboard air kits, but now feature Stealth Black compressors, new never-seen-before matte blank air tanks, and black inner braided coil hose. To learn more about Stealth Black Onboard Air Kits, click here.
Lastly, VIAIR displayed our full line of DOT approved Push-to-Connect fittings at the SEMA Show. These fittings are made with nickel-plated brass for durability and corrosion resistance, with a max working pressure of 200 PSI, making installation of an airline a breeze! To learn more about our PTC Fittings click here.
Drawing Excitement with Top-Notch Vehicles
A fun twist for SEMA this year was our mystery vehicle reveal built by Jeremy Rice of Tre5Customs. For weeks, VIAIR, Tre5Customs, and media partner AutoRevolution had been showing off bits and pieces of the build. Finally, on Tuesday morning of the show, the wait was over. Tre5Customs and the vehicle’s owner unveiled this custom build, a 1981 GMC Sierra.
Shock, delight, and inspiration were some of the emotions displayed after Jeremy and Bradley removed the Covercraft display to reveal the build. This unique truck included a custom glass bed, thanks to Select Glass Inc in Phoenix, Arizona, which beautifully displayed the new VIAIR Limited Edition compressors.
Not only was the build clean and top-notch, it had a meaningful story behind it. This truck was a gift to Bradley M. from his father. When Bradley was growing up, his father would sell the vehicles Bradley always wanted, so they decided when he was old enough to drive they would build a truck for him to keep of his own.
The truck reveal drew much excitement from SEMA attendees. Notable visitors to the vehicle unveiling included Brian Goude from Grinder TV, who is working in conjunction with AutoRevolution to film an episode of Roadside Show on Amazon, airing on December 15th. Magazines including Street Trucks and Truckin’ Magazine came by and shot video footage of the vehicle. We plan to share more details of the custom creation in an upcoming blog with Tre5Customs!
Another vehicle in our booth that drew attention and awe throughout the show as Elias Haroun’s 2005 Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe. The bike featured Custom House of Kolor Candy Root Beer brown, painted by Only 1z Garage, with 24karat Gold leafing and pin striping done by Mike Lamberson. The bike’s suspension was Shotgun Shock’s air ride system with VIAIR’s compressor. We loved the bike’s chrome accents 18″ Carlini bars, 39″ true dual fishtail pipes, a custom upholstered La Pera bones seat, and Crash bar Steele horse audio speaker system.
VIAIR’s vehicle displays wouldn’t be complete without a feature vehicle outside! We were excited to host Jimenez Bros Air Ride and Rod Shop’s 1970 Impala in our Feature Vehicle spot. Since 1999, Jimenez Brothers have been customizing cars and built some of the most influential hot rods and this LS swapped convertible was another huge hit at SEMA.
More Updates Coming Your Way…
As we continue to celebrate our 20 year anniversary in 2018, stay tuned for more information about our Limited Edition and Gen. 2 compressors!
To see more coverage of our SEMA 2017 experience, view the photos here.
Want to know how to install our onboard air systems? Check out our step-by-step installation video below:
If you have any further questions, you can always contact us:
- Call us at 949-585-0011 from 8AM-5PM PST, Monday-Friday
- Chat us with our website’s Live Chat feature from 8AM-5PM PT, Monday-Friday
- Email us at Customer Service to reach us after-hours, and we will reply to you the following business day.