Auto show in 2019 (Deadline Detroit photo)
Over the decades the annual Detroit Auto Show was a place for auto giants to unveil new models. It was also a destination for international journalists covering the latest trends in the industry.
Eventually, it was renamed the North American International Auto Show to reflect its international influence. This year, for the first times since 1988, it will once again be called the Detroit Auto Show and run from Jan. 11-Jan. 20.
Automotive journalist Paul Eisenstein reports in Hour Detroit magazine writes that the auto show isn't as big a deal as it used to be. For one, he notes, auto shows are expensive to put on and many around the country and globe have either disappeared or shrunk.
In Detroit, some auto giants like Mazda, Hyundai and Mercedes-Benze are sitting this year out And while the Detroit show once attracted 5,000 journalists from around the world, this year it's expected to draw mostly local scribes, Eisenstein notes.
He reports that the Internet is another reason the show ain't what it used to be.
He writes:
"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, says 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."
With all that said, Eisenstein writes that people shouldn't dismiss the show. It will still have some grandness and draw hundreds of thousands of visitors in the cold January weather.
