One of the world's most prestigious auto shows is poised to return to its usual form this fall.
The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit has set its dates for an in-person exhibition in 2022, with September 14 to September 25 being the dates for the show at Huntington Place downtown, formerly Cobo Center.
The dates were confirmed during a media conference Tuesday morning by Rod Alberts, executive director of the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, which puts on the auto show.
Unlike previous shows held during the winter, the 2022 show will also take advantage of warmer weather and hit the streets of Detroit, with indoor and outdoor automotive displays, according to Crain's Automotive News.
The idea of a warm-weather NAIAS had been in Detroit since after the 2018 show, and plans were to move the show from January to June starting in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, forced the cancellation of the 2020 show. The concept was bumped to June 2021, but that edition was also cancelled due to the pandemic.
In place of the auto show last year, organizers created Motor Bella, an all-outdoor showcase of European makes that took place in September at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac.
The Detroit Auto Show has had exhibitions on and off since 1907. The show became international in scope in 1988 and has been the launching point of many models for North American, European, and Asian automakers. The NAIAS attracts thousands of automotive executives and journalists from around the world.
September 14 and 15 will be set aside as media preview days. The glitzy charity preview will take place on September 16, with the public show running from the day after to September 25.
