This story has been updated with new information.
For those getting comfortable with some normalcy, the moment is over as the 2021 New York International Auto Show is cancelled. Organizers made the announcement amidst the rise in COVID-19 cases attributable to the Delta variant.
“It is with great disappointment that the upcoming 2021 New York International Automobile Show at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center has been cancelled due to the growing incidences of the COVID-19 Delta variant and the increased measures announced recently by State and local officials to stop its spread,” Mark Schienberg, president, New York Auto Show, in a statement.
The show, which was slated to start with Media Day on Aug. 19 and then open to the public Aug. 20-29, was going to be the second event of the “new” auto show season following the Chicago Show last month.
“We are enormously appreciative of the automobile industry’s tremendous response and commitment in participating in an August New York Auto Show, and especially for the overwhelming involvement in the new EV Test Fest, complete with an entire floor dedicated to electric vehicles and four indoor EV test tracks,” he said.
Plans to come back
Unsurprisingly, show organizers were upbeat about a return next year.
“The COVID pandemic has challenged our City, the country and the entire world, but just like the automobile industry, we know that the New York Auto Show will rebound and be bigger and better than before,” Schienberg said.
“We firmly believe that will be the case when the Show returns to its regular spring schedule in April 2022.”
This year’s even was set to offer attendees a chance to get hands-on with the future, especially electric vehicles. A full driving course for EVs was set up, aimed at giving showgoers a real-world experience in a battery-electric vehicle.
What’s next
Organizers at the slimmed down version of the Detroit Auto Show called Motor Bella have not made any changes to the event — for now. The show, a replacement for the 2021 full event, is scheduled to take place Sept. 21-26 at the M-1 Concourse, a 1.5-mile race track in Pontiac, Michigan, 30-plus miles north of Detroit.
“The Detroit Auto Dealers Association (DADA) is disappointed to see the cancellation of the 2021 New York Auto Show due to the increased spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant,” the Detroit Auto Dealers Association said in a statement to TheDetroitBureau.com. “Auto shows and events provide an intrinsic value to our industry by bringing people together to experience new vehicles, new technology and innovations and also to connect with peers and friends.
“We remain in close contact with civic and health officials and will work to ensure that Motor Bella is a safe and effective event for our industry partners and attendees.”
The next big show after that is the L.A. Auto Show, currently slated to run Nov. 19-28.
“The L.A. Auto Show is currently still scheduled for November,” said Terri Toennies, president, L.A. Auto Show, in an email to TheDetroitBureau.com. “As planned, we will follow the L.A. County Public Health Department’s guidance on best practices when the show occurs this fall.”
