Detroit Auto Show returns after 3-year hiatus
The September date marks the first edition of the show in its new, warm weather format.
The North American International Auto Show in January 2019.
The 2022 North American International Auto Show opens to the public this weekend. The event at Huntington Place, previously known as Cobo Hall, runs from September 17 through 25 — with media and industry previews taking place this week.
It marks the first time for the event on its new date. The Auto Show was previously held in January, but saw dwindling crowds in years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We simply won’t see the number of new car previews and journalists flying in from all over the world.” — Paul Eisenstein, The Detroit Bureau
Listen: What to expect at the 2022 NAIAS.
Paul Eisenstein is publisher of automotive website The Detroit Bureau. He says the event may have a smaller footprint than it’s had in the past.
“It’s clearly a downsized media presence,” says Eisenstein. “We simply won’t see the number of new car previews and journalists flying in from all over the world.”
However, Eisenstein says the NAIAS’s new approach is for more engagement — making use of the September date to include outdoor displays.
“One of the things the Detroit Auto Show will start testing this year is whether people actually want to have a chance to test drive vehicles — not just look at them.”
Photo credit: Jake Neher/WDET.
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