And the more lavish product debuts can top $5 million. In New York and Detroit, two of the most expensive of these events, even a small display has typically runs into the seven-figure range. High costsĪnd the cost of having a presence at a major auto show can be hefty. Others, like BMW, have had a presence only where local dealers were willing to foot the bill. Add all of the current season’s previews in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Detroit together and there will be fewer than was the annual norm in the Motor City alone.Īnd a sizable number of manufacturers have pulled out entirely, Mercedes-Benz, for one, not even placing a stand at one of the big shows this year. There’s no question that automakers have slashed the number of new car launches staged at the major auto shows in both the U.S.

“But as for consumers, auto shows remain an important and pressure-free way to go look at what’s in the market.” If anything, he anticipates, auto shows could become even more important for potential car buyers due to major changes in the business: the shift to online retailing and the emergence of electric vehicles.įord’s test track at the Chicago Auto Show highlighted the new Bronco’s capabilities. “As a venue for new product introductions, auto shows are declining,” said Ed Kim, president and chief analyst with consulting firm AutoPacific, Inc. They might lift Mark Twain’s reported response to his obituary mistakenly published by the old New York Journal: “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” Change or die Yet, where it’s become conventional wisdom in some circles to predict the demise of the auto show, organizers have reason to argue otherwise. Where the Motor City’s North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) once hosted the debut of as many as 70 new products in a three-day media preview, there were barely a half-dozen introductions of note last September, Chicago boasting no more. Certainly, from a media perspective, the recent Detroit, Chicago and Los Angeles shows were shadows of their former selves. auto shows undergoing existential change. The Big Apple event isn’t alone among major U.S. Auto shows are refocusing and retrenching, looking to draw plenty of potential buyers and future buyers.

Carshield reviews consumer reports