2020 was a terrible year for auto shows. One after another, international events like Geneva, New York, and the Goodwood Festival of Speed were forced to cancel because of the pandemic. Attempts to reschedule ultimately proved futile. But the New Year has arrived and auto show organizers are desperate to get back up and running. Unfortunately, it could be a slow process.
Earlier this week, the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, the organizers of the Detroit Auto Show, announced the 2021 show, already rescheduled from June to September, will not happen in its original format. Instead, the show has been renamed Motor Bella and will move from the TCF Center in downtown Detroit to a racetrack venue called the M1 Concourse in nearby Pontiac, Michigan. Rebranded as more of a luxury event that’ll take place entirely outdoors, many have been rightly concerned this will become the permanent plan. Not so.