Detroit Auto Show Canceled, NAIAS Hosting Oakland County Event

DETROIT, MI — The North American International Auto Show on Monday announced the Detroit 2021 Auto Show was canceled and the organization was shifting gears toward Oakland County, where it will host an outdoor event at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac.

The new "Motor Bella" event will be held from Sept. 21-26, 2021. The M1 Concourse, which officials described as an "87-acre playground for auto enthusiasts," will feature a 1.6 million-square-foot vehicle and technology display space including terrain for showcasing off-roading capabilities.

"The pandemic has caused changes in our society and world in ways not previously imagined, and we all should be looking for new and highly creative ways of doing business," North American International Auto Show Executive Director Rod Alberts said. "This new event captures that creative spirit. It will provide new mobility experiences and increasingly innovative approaches to tapping into the industry and its products."

Related: North American International Auto Show To Move To Fall 2021

The event typically is held in the winter months, but in March 2020 organizers canceled the event amid coronavirus concerns with plans to hold it in September 2021.

Event Chairman Doug North said that the M1 Concourse was already considered as part of the 2021 Motor Bella activities. Motor Bella was originally conceived as a celebration of Italian and British supercars and classic vehicles and was to have debuted at the June 2020 NAIAS, officials said.

"With our new program for 2021, we will take the Motor Bella concept to the next level with multiple brands and mobilities represented, from hometown to international nameplates, autonomous vehicles to high-performance supercars and everything in between," North said. "It will be a mobility-filled event. One that will provide our show partners with a cost-efficient backdrop to share all of their brands, products and technologies in a fun and festival-like atmosphere that's completely outdoors."

Jordan Zlotoff, CEO of M1 Concourse, said Concourse is proud to hosting the event.

"Motor Bella will allow journalists, industry executives and the public to interact with vehicles in a fully dynamic and experiential format, well beyond the limitations of static displays," he said. "As the largest Private Garage community in the world, we at M1 Concourse share the enthusiasm for creating a unique automotive environment built specifically for car enthusiasts."

A charity initiative, which will continue the NAIAS' and Detroit Auto Dealers Association's longstanding commitment to children and families in need, will also be part of the six-day Motor Bella, officials said.