When the Detroit Auto Show is next held, in June 2022 (conditions allowing), it will be more than three years since the event was last presented. This is because show organizers have decided to cancel the 2021 edition; recall that it had previously been postponed from its scheduled June dates to the fall due to the coronavirus.
The last Detroit Auto Show took place in January 2019. At that time, it was already confirmed that the show would be moving on the calendar and that the next edition would be held in June 2020. As fate would have it, that decision to move it to later in the year ultimately meant it was never held in 2020. And now this year's show is cancelled as well.
The decision comes early in the year, and it is a bit surprising, because we can anticipate that by next fall, with the distribution of the vaccine, there’s some chance the situation might have improved enough for the Detroit show to go ahead. Perhaps not as much as organizers would have liked, however.
All is not lost for 2021, however, because the show will still be holding some events. These will be in coordination with those of the Motor Bella, which is scheduled for the end of September in Pontiac, Michigan. Originally, that show was originally planned as a gathering primarily for vintage vehicles of Italian and British origin. Most importantly, it will be an outdoor event.
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Manufacturers will be able to showcase new models and put on product presentations. Media days are planned, as well as days when the event will be open to the public. The event is scheduled to take place from September 21 to 26, with the last four days reserved for the general public.
A Detroit half-show is certainly better than none…
Over the next few weeks, we’ll also be keeping a close eye on announcements regarding the other major auto shows in the United States, namely Los Angeles and New York. The first is scheduled for the end of May, the second for the last days of August.
If we had to bet on a further postponement, it would be the one in Los Angeles, which could be called off for May and return to its usual slot at the end of November. Hopefully, by that time in 2021, life will have regained some semblance of normality.