The annual Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show is a hotbed for wild vehicle creations and aftermarket offerings, but after Honda and Ford, Chevrolet has also pulled out of the 2022 edition despite having a strong presence in 2021.
The floor plan for the show is available to view online which confirms that Chevrolet has not booked any space, although there is one dealer from Texas that will be present.
A spokesman for the brand told Muscle Cars and Trucks: “GM has made the decision not to participate in the 2022 SEMA Show. The SEMA Show has always inspired us, and accessories and performance parts remain an important part of our business.”
Last year, the bowtie brand pulled out all the stops for SEMA, bringing a number of custom vehicles to the show, including the 1,000 horsepower Hoonigan Z/28 Camaro, Beast off-road concept vehicle, 2023 Corvette Z06, 2022 Silverado ZR2, 1957 Chevy “Project X”, and more.
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This could have been a banner year for Chevrolet at the show, with products like the C8 Corvette and Camaro begging to be modified. The brand has always been extremely present in the aftermarket world, having offered crate engines and dress-up parts for quite some time.
The real reason for the exit isn’t clear, but it’s possible that after a few years of a global pandemic, supply chain shortages, and a focus on electrification, 2022 just isn’t a good year to make a big investment in aftermarket toys. After all, building a specialty vehicle for a single weekend is hard on the wallet, even when that wallet is as big as GM’s.
Chevrolet is the latest brand to pull out of the show, following the exit of Ford and Honda earlier this year. According to a statement to Motor1, Ford’s reason for not attending the show is that the brand is refining its “approach to the annual event to better reach and highlight how customers can personalize their Ford vehicles today and tomorrow.”
As for Honda, it did not specify a reason for not attending the event. The Japanese brand has typically had a strong presence in the show, and it’s possible that its luxury sub-brand, Acura, will still make an appearance with products for its new performance vehicles, such as the 2023 Integra.
The 2022 SEMA Show will take place from November 1st to 4th in Las Vegas, Nevada.