Detroit auto show says it expects more brands to show up in 2023

The North American International Auto Show said this year's event will feature more brands than last year's first foray into September that extended outside the walls of Huntington Place.

The Detroit Auto Dealers Association, which runs the show, said Wednesday that it expects more than double the 13 brands that participated in last year's show. General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis were the primary automakers featuring brands in the show, with many European and Asian brands absent.

This year's show schedule includes media days on Sept. 13-14, the charity preview Sept. 15 and public event Sept. 16-24.

Other additions this year will in include an indoor EV test track for attendees and a global mobility forum for executives, which will run concurrently with media days.

Ford, GM and Stellantis will feature their full brand portfolios this year, organizers said. The show expects "multiple" vehicle debuts, but did not give a figure for how many had committed to the show so far.

Last year's show extended beyond its traditional home in Huntington Place (the former Cobo Center) to encompass events in Hart Plaza and elsewhere in Detroit. It represented a relaunch of the show for a connected world where automakers no longer need a central media event to launch vehicles, preferring to communicate more directly with consumers.

It also represented a relaunch after several years of cancelations due to the move of the show from January, which was followed by COVID-related delays. In all, there were almost four years between the two editions of the show.

Attendance at the revamped show was down significantly from attendance at pre-pandemic shows, but live events more broadly have bounced back strongly in 2023.

"This year's show represents the next step in its evolution and in the evolution of the industry itself," said Detroit Auto Show Chairman Thad Szott. "Automotive technology is changing so rapidly; how do we make people comfortable with it? We're planning for a show that not only embraces and educates about this new technology but offers an immersion into it. And with twice the number of brands participating, there'll be no shortage of engaging with it."