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DETROIT -- As the music blared and the Dodge Dart rolled out to its debut, the stage shook underneath Dodge CEO Reid Bigland's feet before he stepped off.
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"I just got off the stage on time," Bigland said, joking upon hopping back on to introduce the features of the 2013 Dart, Dodge's entry into the compact car market. "I would've fallen through the ground here."
It was a grand stage all day for the Big Three U.S. automakers of Dodge's Chrysler, Ford and General Motors. Fresh off momentum from strong sales and unthinkable rebounds in 2011, the mood stayed lighthearted while the companies introduced bold new additions to their lineups, as well as intriguing concept vehicles.
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Just more than two years ago, all three companies at least teetered on the brink of bankruptcy. All three were bailed out in some form by the U.S. government -- Chrysler and GM through bankruptcy protection.
But in 2011, bolstered by everything from better product to the lingering effects of the earthquake and tsunami on Japanese automakers like Toyota and Honda, all three made incredulous recoveries from their previous depths. They all saw sales and market share increase dramatically from a year-to-year basis.
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"We remain extremely thankful for the second chance we were given a couple years ago," Bigland said Monday. "Rarely in life does this happen. We've been through hell. We're not looking to go back."
In Bigland and Dodge's case, it went back to reintroduce a previously discontinued model -- the Dart -- to compete in the compact car segment, one it has neglected since the Neon in the mid-1990s.
Bigland said some of the new Dart's features came from Dodge's reexamination of the past that led Chrysler to the lows that came with the 2008 economic plunge. Specifically, he cited Chrysler's shift to producing comfortable, roomy and sleek interiors after years of cheap, plastic interiors.
"We're kind of like the reformed smoker," he said. "We've made some dramatic improvements over the past couple of years. As Socrates said, 'An unexamined life is a life not worth living.'
"I think we've learned from our past, and we've learned from our mistakes. But we can't forget where we came from as well. We need to continue to remain humble going forward."
While Dodge and Chrysler were just entering into competition in a segment, Ford is looking to conquer one -- the midsize sedan -- with the Ford Fusion. The Fusion's market share has grown 5.2 percent since its entry in 2005, and its sales outpaced the Honda Accord this year as Ford's top-selling model.
The Fusion's new, sleek design turned heads of onlookers and analysts alike. But Edmunds.com analyst Ivan Drury said Ford shouldn't count on catching Toyota this year, and he cautioned that a redesign could be risky.
"It's extremely important that they get it right," Drury told the International Business Times in a phone interview on Monday.
"The Fusion has done well recently, though," he added. "The pictures of it -- it's a bit sportier than I expected, but there's nothing wrong with that. If you look at the styling whims of Hyundai and Kia lately, people are becoming a little more accepting and drawn to something that's got a little more distinctive style to it."
