The Detroit Auto Dealers Association is targeting Sept. 14-25, 2022 for the long-awaited return of the North American International Auto Show. Fingers crossed that the auto show actually comes to fruition this time, since it hasn’t taken place in Detroit since 2019.
The show was supposed to happen in June of 2020 in a new summertime format at Huntington Place (formerly TCF Center, aka Cobo Hall if you’re old-school). But the coronavirus pandemic had other plans and Huntington Place was made into a short-lived field hospital for COVID-19 patients.
Then it was supposed to return in September of this year, but the virus snuffed out that plan too. Instead, it was replaced with the Motor Bella, an outdoor automotive exhibit at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac which was dampened by rain on its opening day. Needless to say, the auto show has been plagued by a series of bad luck the past few years.
What does seem promising, however, is that the Michigan state legislature approved a one-time $9 million grant for the show’s revival. It’s part of an $841 million spending bill approved Tuesday night that also includes emergency assistance for low-income renters and COVID-19 testing at schools.
Who knows what the pandemic will look like by September of 2022, but at least we have a date to look forward to?
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