2021 Detroit motor show cancelled and replaced with six-day outdoor event
Pandemic has forced organisers of the major North American car show to rethink their plans for this year.
The 2021 North American International Auto Show in Detroit has been cancelled, instead replaced by a six-day outdoor show called Motor Bella.
Hosted at the 87-acre M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Michigan, it will allow exhibitors to display vehicles as well as giving the opportunity for ‘dynamic’ displays, such as a 1.5-mile ‘hot track’ and off-road courses.
Rod Alberts, the show’s executive director, said: “The pandemic has caused changes in our society and world in ways not previously imagined, and we all should be looking for new and highly creative ways of doing business.
“This new event captures that creative spirit. It will provide new mobility experiences and increasingly innovative approaches to tapping into the industry and its products.”
Alberts explained that the show was adapted to account for the increased demand for ‘experiential mobility shows’ as well as an appetite for more outdoor shows in the light of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Motor Bella concept builds on an event that had already been planned as part of the 2020 Detroit motor show. It had planned to celebrate Italian and British supercars as well as classic vehicles.
The event begins with a press day on September 21, followed by two industry preview days. The show will be open to the public for four days from the 23rd.
