Detroit Auto Show Canceled Anew in 2021

It’s 2021, but auto shows are still a no-go in the United States.

Latest to be canceled is this year’s Detroit Auto Show, which, according to organizers, will be replaced by an outdoor event called the Motor Bella. The new event is advertised as a “bridge to the future,” suggesting the organizer’s move to transition from traditional auto shows.

Motor Bella is slated from September 21 to 26. The show begins with press and industry previews that will run from September 21 to 23, followed by the public stages in the afternoon of September 23 and onwards. Compared to previous Detroit Auto Shows, the Motor Bella has a shorter timetable, perhaps in consideration of the pandemic.

The entire event will take place outdoors at the M1 Concourse motorsports facility in Pontiac, Michigan, which is said to be “centrally located in the metro Detroit area.” It will have 1.6 million square feet of “dynamic vehicle and technology display space,” in addition to M1’s 1.5-mile test track that will be used for demonstrations by the participating automakers. 

Prior to 2020, the North American International Auto Show was held every January at what was formerly known as the Cobo Center. However, organizers were forced to cancel last year’s show due to the ongoing pandemic. The 2020 show was supposedly a way for the organizers to display an overhauled version of the event.

According to show organizers, Motor Bella is deemed a way to change the formula of conventional auto shows.

“The traditional auto show model is changing,” said Rod Alberts, Detroit Auto Show executive director. “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.”