“What’s in a name?” the Bard once asked. When it comes to the North American International Auto Show, that’s more than a rhetorical question. Come January, it will once again be known as the Detroit Auto Show, a name it hasn’t used since 1988. And that’s more than just rebranding.
At its peak, NAIAS was among the world’s preeminent automotive events. It routinely drew over 5,000 journalists from across the globe to see a who’s who of manufacturers roll out as many as 70 new models each year. Over the past decade, however, the numbers have steadily dwindled.
Where planeloads of scribes once flew into Detroit Metro Airport, media attendance will likely be largely local this year — with just a handful of news conferences to attend. Once-familiar brands like Mazda and Hyundai will sit out this year’s gathering, and Mercedes-Benz is said to do so as well. And the once-lavish two-story stands of the golden years will largely be replaced by basic displays featuring “cars on carpet.”
What’s happened? We can take solace knowing Detroit isn’t the only place where auto shows have fallen on hard times. The once-massive Frankfurt Motor Show is but a memory, and organizers said the annual Geneva International Motor Show would end “indefinitely” last May. Similar industry flagship events in Paris, Tokyo, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York are also mere shadows of their former selves.
“Car shows can’t keep doing it the same way,” explains Rod Alberts, the retiring head of the Detroit Auto Dealers Association — which sponsored NAIAS and, now, DAS. It’s easy to blame COVID or, if you prefer, the Great Recession that nearly destroyed two of Detroit’s Big Three. And it’s true: Automakers, much like the broader business world, have had to rethink their marketing strategies.
Car shows aren’t cheap. Even the smallest stand at Cobo Center (now Huntington Place) cost more than $1 million to set up in NAIAS’s heyday; add a bigger display and fancy press conference and you might write a check for $5 million. “Marketing dollars are shifting to [other] opportunities,” says Jennifer Morand, president of the Chicago Automobile Trade Association, which runs the also-downsized Chicago Auto Show.
The internet has played a major role as well. It’s given manufacturers the ability to launch new products in ways that can reach a far bigger audience than any physical auto show could, say analysts like Sam Abuelsamid, lead automotive researcher at Guidehouse Insights. And even when they do show off products in the real world, some manufacturers have taken to setting up their own events where they don’t have to worry about competitors. And there are other opportunities. A score of high-end brands, like BMW, Rolls-Royce, and Lamborghini, have turned to events such as the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance to showcase new products that once would have drawn the spotlight in Detroit. Other manufacturers, including General Motors, Hyundai, and Mercedes-Benz, have become regulars at the CES technology trade show in Las Vegas.
But while it has shrunk in size, don’t dismiss the Detroit Auto Show entirely. This year’s Mobility Global Forum (part of Industry Days) includes 30-plus presentations. And the public show will draw hundreds of thousands of visitors. After all, there are still plenty of potential buyers who want to see the real sheet metal and rubber. And as at other shows, Detroit will even offer attendees the opportunity to test-drive some products — a plus in an industry electrifying.
So while it won’t match the glory of the old NAIAS, the DAS will still be a hot spot along the Detroit River during the cold winter month of January.
The 2025 Detroit Auto Show
Charity Preview
Friday, Jan. 10
Over the last 25 years, the Detroit Auto Show Charity Preview has raised more than $100 million for area children’s charities. Beneficiaries for the 2025 event include the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan, The Children’s Center, The Children’s Foundation, Detroit Auto Dealers Association Charitable Foundation Fund, Detroit PAL, and U-M C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.
It kicks off with a ribbon cutting ceremony in the Huntington Place, atrium at 5 p.m. followed by the opening of the Auto Show floor where Flo Rida will perform at 7:45 p.m. Other entertainment closes out the event from 8:45-10 p.m.
Public Show
Saturday, Jan. 11 through Monday, Jan. 20
Guests of this year’s public show will peruse a wide variety of vehicles including iconic cars from hit films, such as the Ferrari Modena Spyder California from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and the Volkswagen Beetle from Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me; a showcase of vehicles representing “Detroit Through the Decades;” luxury and exotic vehicles from more than 30 brands; and a curated display of more than 150 modded cars and trucks from area enthusiasts.
In addition to the displays, the show will also offer ride-along activations on four indoor tracks, one of which that’s themed to the Detroit Grand Prix; music spun by live DJs; and much more.
General admission to the public show is $20 for adults, $12 for seniors, and $10 for kids.
Industry Days
Wednesday, Jan. 15 through Thursday, Jan. 16
Those involved in the automotive industry enjoy exclusive industry access to the Detroit Auto Show from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. This portion of the show includes the AutoMobili-D technology showcase — an exhibit featuring mobility and technology displays by area startups such as DENSO, Movimento, Lightcast, Northwood University, and many others — as well as the Future Leaders Forum, and the Mobility Global Forum, which includes keynote speeches, panels, and fireside chats with industry experts.
Racing Day presented by the Detroit Grand Prix
Friday, Jan. 17
Thanks to a partnership between The Detroit Auto Show and the Detroit Grand Prix, this year’s show sees the return of Racing Day. During this event, a track themed to the Grand Prix, and incorporating some of the elements of the races’ street circuit, will be open to showgoers and will “feature gas-powered, hybrid, and EV vehicles.” There’s also the chance to talk to top drivers competing in NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT, and several race car displays.
Go to detroitautoshow.com for tickets and information.
