- The Detroit Auto Show returned after a short hiatus, but it barely elicited a shrug.
- Far more news was revealed at the Brussels Motor Show, Tokyo Auto Salon, and CES.
- Most automakers have abandoned the event, leaving dealers to fill in the gaps.
After skipping 2024, the Detroit Auto Show kicked off earlier today. However, you probably didn’t notice as the only news out of the event was the winners of the North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year Awards.
Ahead of the event, Ford introduced the Mustang RTR and Mustang GTD Spirit of America. This is a far cry from previous years and such as sad showing that it made the 2024 Chicago Auto Show look jam-packed in comparison.
More: Ford Mustang GTD Spirit Of America Edition Wears Patriotism Loud And Proud
In the days and weeks leading up to the event, the Detroit Auto Show’s website promised the 2025 press conference schedule was coming soon. However, they’ve recently eliminated that page and you now get a 404 error. This suggests the show didn’t even have a single event worth mentioning.
That brings us to the elephant in the room, we didn’t bother attending. 2022 was a bad year for the show, but 2023 was a significant improvement. For 2025, it wasn’t even worth the hour long drive into the city and that’s saying something for a person who gets paid to write about cars for a living.
While organizers were clear they weren’t going to focus on the media going forward, it’s hard to get excited about this year’s event. In fact, it sounds more like the ill-fated Southeast Michigan Auto Show than the Detroit Auto Show.
Dinosaurs at the 2022 show might have hinted at extinction / Michael Gauthier for Carscoops
However, there’s a mix of automaker and dealer participation. GM, Ford, and Stellantis have a big presence and they’re joined at the corporate level by Toyota and Volkswagen. Dealers, four indoor tracks, and randomness help to fill up the leftover space.
The show opens to the public tomorrow and tickets cost $20 for adults, $12 for seniors (65+), and $10 for children between the ages of 3 and 12. That’s pretty pricey for something that appears lackluster, but there’s a $50 family pass that includes admittance for two adults and up to three children.
With all that being said, is the Detroit Auto Show dead or just transitioning into the post auto show era? We’re hoping it’s the latter as some high-profile shows are no longer with us. Of course, with not much new, it’s hard to justify a trip into the Motor City.
