North American International Auto Show
Annual auto show in Detroit, Michigan From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Annual auto show in Detroit, Michigan From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Detroit Auto Show, formerly known as the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS),[1] is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan. Hosted at Huntington Place (formerly Cobo Center) since 1965,[2] it is among the largest auto shows in North America, and is widely regarded as one of the automotive industry's most important events.[3][4]
| Detroit Auto Show | |
|---|---|
| |
| Genre | Auto show |
| Venue | Huntington Place |
| Location(s) | Detroit, Michigan |
| Country | United States |
| Inaugurated | 1907 |
| Previous event | September 16–24, 2023 |
| Next event | January 10–20, 2025 |
| Organised by | Detroit Auto Dealers Association |
| Website | detroitautoshow |
The show is organized by the Detroit Auto Dealers Association (DADA), and has been held annually in January for much of its recent history. It is usually open to the general public for 1–2 weeks, preceded by previews for industry employees and media, and a black-tie "charity preview" fundraiser for local children's charities.
In 1899, William E. Metzger helped organize the Detroit Auto Show, only the second of its kind, after the 1898 Paris Auto Show.[5] An auto show was held in Detroit in 1907 at Beller's Beer Garden at Riverside Park and since then annually except 1941–1953. During the show's first decades of existence it portrayed only a regional focus. In 1957 international carmakers exhibited for the first time.[6]
In 1987, the DADA proposed that the show become international.[7] The members of the DADA went to places such as Europe and Japan in the attempt to convince those unveiling their new brands or vehicles in those countries to bring those unveilings to the North American Auto Show.[7] That attempt proved to be successful; the North American Auto Show was then renamed the North American International Auto Show in 1989.[7] The NAIAS was the first (and, until 2006, only) auto show in the United States sanctioned by the OICA.[8]
Since 1965, the show has been held at Huntington Place (formerly Cobo Center),[7] where it occupies nearly 1 million square feet (93,000 m2) of floor space. Prior to being held at Huntington Place, the show was held at other well-known places in the Metro Detroit area, including the Light Guard Armory, Wayne Gardens pavilion, and Michigan State Fairgrounds.[9]
Record attendance was in 2003, with 838,066 attendees.[10] In 2009, attendance was 650,517.[10] In 2016, there were 815,575 in ticketed attendance, after reaching 803,451 in 2015.[10] In 2004 and 2005, the charity preview attracted 17,500 people at $400 a ticket and raised $7 million in total. Over 800,000 attended during the days the show was open to the general public in 2018; it is estimated that the show generates a revenue of over $500 million to the local economy.[11]
Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz were not present at the 2019 edition, following recent absences of other luxury manufacturers like Porsche, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo.[11]
In 2018, plans were made to move the show from January to June beginning in 2020, in hopes of attracting more visitors and adding outdoor events,[11] with plans for an "auto plaza" around Woodward and Jefferson avenues, in addition to the indoor exhibition at TCF Center.[12] An outdoor festival known as "Motor Bella" was to precede the show, which would showcase European supercars.[13] The 2020 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, during which TCF Center was used as a field hospital by FEMA.[14]
In 2020, plans were made to move the 2021 show from June to late September due to the continued pandemic.[15] However, the 2021 edition was also canceled. The NAIAS organizers held Motor Bella at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Michigan as a partial replacement, which was an outdoor enthusiast event running from September 21–26. Executive director Rod Alberts stated that "we cannot ignore the major disruptions caused by the pandemic and the impact it has had on budgets. As such, we will be providing an amazing experience to the media, the auto industry and the public in a cost-effective way."[16]
For the 2022 and 2023 editions, the show returned to downtown Detroit and was held in September.[17] With the 2025 edition, the show returned to January, and was rebranded again as the Detroit Auto Show.[1][18]
In 2025, the show was moved back to its previous January timeframe;[1] as a result, no show was held in 2024.[19] The 2025 public show ran from January 11–20, with the media and charity previews held on the 10th,[20] the latter featuring a performance by Flo Rida.[21]
Like in 2023, the 2025 show was held entirely indoors at Huntington Place. Ford, General Motors, Kia, Stellantis, Toyota, and Volkswagen returned as full exhibitors;[22] and BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Ineos, Mazda, and Mercedes-Benz were represented by exhibits organized by local dealerships,[23] with Ineos making their first Detroit Auto Show appearance.[24] High-end and exotic vehicles were exhibited in The Gallery, a separate section also programmed by local dealers.[25]
The 2025 show included four test tracks on the show floor: the returning Powering Michigan EV Experience, featuring electric vehicles from BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, and Rivian (in the latter's Detroit Auto Show debut);[24] the new Detroit Grand Prix Track, with electric and gasoline-powered electric vehicles from Buick, Ford, Honda, Mazda, and Volkswagen; and the returning Ford Bronco Built Wild Experience and Camp Jeep off-road courses in their manufacturers' respective exhibits.[22]
The 2023 public show ran from September 16–24, with the media preview on the 13th and charity preview (featuring a performance by Jennifer Hudson) on the 15th.[26] Notably, its run coincided with the beginning of the 2023 United Auto Workers strike, which targeted Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, the show's three largest exhibitors. The UAW held a rally outside Huntington Place on the evening of the charity preview, but did not picket the event or call for a consumer boycott of the show.[26]
For 2023, the show returned to its previous all-indoor format. All three Detroit-based automakers exhibited, joined by Kia, Toyota, and Volkswagen.[27] Subaru declined to return for the 2023 show,[28] while Honda and Hyundai were represented in exhibits organized by their Detroit-area dealerships.[29][30] Like in 2022, non-participating automakers were represented by smaller displays of their automobiles in a separate section of the show floor.[27][31]
The 2023 show introduced the Powering Michigan EV Experience, a large indoor test track at the rear of the show floor, on which attendees rode in new electric vehicles from GM, Ford, Volkswagen, BMW, and Tesla.[27] The track included a 300-foot acceleration strip, and a serpentine course to demonstrate the vehicles' handling.[32][33] The separate Ford and Jeep off-road demonstration courses, as well as the Ram truck course, returned from the 2022 show.[34] Tesla's participation in the EV Experience marked the company's first NAIAS appearance since 2015.[35]
In 2022, the full NAIAS returned to Huntington Place, with the public show running from September 17–25, preceded by the media preview on the 14th and the charity preview on the 16th. The media preview was visited by then-U.S. President Joe Biden,[36] and the charity preview featured a performance by Nile Rodgers & Chic.[37]
The 2022 edition featured a redesigned layout, with the main exhibits indoors on the show floor at Huntington Place, and other supporting events outdoors in nearby Hart Plaza.[38] Stellantis, Ford, General Motors, Toyota, and Subaru were the only automakers with major exhibits on the convention floor, while Volkswagen had a smaller display in the lobby of Huntington Place.[39] In recognition of Jeep ducking, Stellantis rented the World's Largest Rubber Duck for the show, which stood in the plaza outside Huntington Place.[40] Many non-participating automakers, such as Nissan, Hyundai, and Mercedes-Benz, were represented by new vehicles on display on the convention floor, but without a branded exhibit.[41]
Returning from Motor Bella were interactive test tracks on the show floor, offering rides in Ford and Stellantis vehicles, included with show admission. Ford's track featured an acceleration strip, used to demonstrate the F-150 Lightning, and a large hill, showcasing the Bronco's off-road capabilities. Stellantis operated two tracks: Camp Jeep, an off-road course featuring the Jeep Wrangler, Gladiator, and Grand Cherokee; and a second demonstration course featuring Ram pickup trucks.
The 2023 North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year semi-finalists were announced and displayed at the show, with the winners to be announced in January 2023.[48]
Plans for the full NAIAS to return in September 2021 were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In lieu, the show's organizers hosted an outdoor event, Motor Bella, at the M-1 Concourse in nearby Pontiac from September 21–26.[49][50]
The 2020 show was scheduled to be held from June 13–20; it was canceled in March 2020 due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.[14]
The 2019 show ran from January 19–27 at Cobo Center[52] and opened with the lowering of a 2020 Shelby GT500 from the Cobo Center ceiling.[3] 30 cars launched in the previews, down from 69 in 2018.[53] Among various cars, it displayed new versions of the Kia Soul. Other major attractions included the 2020 Shelby GT500.[54] USA Today noted that Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Jeep and Toyota were all re-introducing discontinued models at the show with the media previews, for example the Toyota Supra and midsize Ford Ranger.[55][56] Virtual reality displays were utilized by several carmakers.[57] A number of protests took place outside the event regarding Ford's environmental record and GM layoffs.[58]
At the show, Ford Motor Company and Volkswagen Group announced a global alliance to collaborate on commercial vans and mid-size pickup trucks, and potentially share EV and autonomous vehicle technology in the future.[77]
The 2018 show took place January 20 to 28 at the Cobo Center.[78] It ran from January 14 to 28. The press preview was extended by one day and the second edition of Automobili-D was extended by three days.
The Washington Post reported that the fastest cars at the 2018 auto show included the 2019 Acura NSX, the 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody, the 2019 Nissan GT-R, the 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia, and the 2019 Corvette ZR1.[79]
The 2017 show ran from January 9 to 22. Automobili-D, an exposition dedicated to automotive autonomy and mobility, ran in conjunction with the show on January 8–12.[106] Sam Slaughter served as chairman.[10]
The 2016 show ran from January 11 to 24. The show drew 5,068 credentialed members of the media from 60 countries during the media preview, with the industry preview afterwards drawing 39,788 visitors from 25 countries and 2,000 companies.[10] Among celebrity visitors was Barack Obama.[10][134] The first day saw the debut of models like the Lexus LC 500, the new Pacifica minivan, and an Audi hydrogen concept car.[135]
The 2015 show ran from January 12 to 25.
The 2014 show ran from January 13 to 26.
The 2013 show ran from January 14 to 27.
Chevrolet also displayed five models sold outside the United States: the Onix, Orlando, Sail, Spin, and Trax.[241]
The 2012 show ran from January 9 to 22.
Nissan returned to the show after a three-year absence.[242]
Bryan Herta was presented with the Baby Borg trophy for the 2011 Indianapolis 500 during the show, which coincided with the promotion of the return of the IZOD IndyCar Series to Detroit later in June. A replica Baby Borg was also presented to Suzie Wheldon, the widow of the winning driver of the race.
The 2011 show ran from January 10 to 23.
Porsche returned to the show for the first time since 2007.[244] A new "Smarter Living in Michigan" section showcased alternative energy technologies outside of the automotive sector, in addition to an electric vehicle track condensed from its 2010 size.
The 2010 show ran from January 11 to 24.
A new "Electric Avenue" section showcased electric vehicles from around the world, including some entrants for the Automotive X-Prize. Saab, Hummer, Infiniti, Suzuki, and Porsche did not attend the 2010 show.[249] Nissan and Mitsubishi did not have regular floor space, but the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi i MiEV appeared in the Electric Avenue section.[250] A small electrical fire at the Audi exhibit caused an evacuation on January 21. Nobody was hurt.[251]
The 2009 show ran from January 11 to 25.[253]
Nissan, Infiniti, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Rolls-Royce, Land Rover, Ferrari, and Porsche did not attend the 2009 auto show, the largest number of non-returning automakers in the show's history. As a result, the show became the first with Chinese automakers (BYD and Brilliance) exhibited on the main floor.[254]
The 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class was announced and shown to invited members of the press, but was not put on public display until the March 2010 Geneva Motor Show.[255]
GM also announced the production of the Chevrolet Spark mini-car (previously shown as the Chevrolet Beat concept), for sale in Europe in 2010 and North America in 2011, as well as the Chevrolet Orlando compact MPV, for sale in North America in 2011. The Spark will be shown at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.[256]
The 2008 show ran from January 13 to 27.
The 2007 show was held from January 7 to 21.
GM also displayed five "global" concept cars for the first time in North America: Chevrolet T2X, Chevrolet WTCC, Holden Efijy, Opel Antara GTC, and Saab Aero-X.
The 2006 show was held from January 8 to 22.
The 2004 show was held from January 10 to 19.
The 2003 show was held from January 11 to 20.
This edition featured 52 new vehicles, including 39 worldwide introductions.
The 1990 Detroit Auto Show was held on January 6–14.[273]
The Detroit Auto Show was renamed the North American International Auto Show for 1989, as Lexus and Infiniti debuted. The show opened on January 11, with press previews and introductions for the first two days.
The 1987 show ran from January 10 to 18.
Two major awards are presented at the auto show: the EyesOn Design Awards for Design Excellence,[274] and the Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year Award, which was founded in 1994. At the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year awards, awarded in the preview period of the auto show, around 55 automotive journalists serve as judges. They evaluate "value, innovation, design, performance, safety, technology and driver satisfaction."[56]
EyesOn Design Award winners
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