It doesn’t matter whether you’re into sports cars, muscle cars, SUVs, or supercars. So long as you consider yourself a true gearhead, you have to at least attend a car show once in your life. Sure, there are car shows on television that we love bingeing on.
However, we still argue that there’s nothing better than getting up close and personal with a car to truly admire it. Typically, car shows happen all over the world, all year long. All you have to do is organize your schedule and travel plans so you can make it to at least one.
10 North American International Auto Show
It’s no surprise that the North American International Auto Show (NAIS) is held annually in Detroit. After all this is the city of the big three – General Motors, Fiat Chrysler, and Ford. The show typically runs for nine days and attracts over 800,000 visitors, according to the Detroit Historical Society.
Over the years, this show where cars such as the GMC Cyclone, Infiniti Q45, and Lexus LS400 made their debuts. Unfortunately, the NAIAS scheduled for June 2020 was canceled due to the current situation. According to a press release, the NAIS will hold its next show in June 2021.
9 Auto Shanghai
Auto Shanghai is officially known as the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition. Occurring every two years, the show is held alternately with the Beijing Auto Show. The show was last held in 2019 and the exhibitors included Alfa Romeo, Acura, Lamborghini, Honda, Hyundai, Maserati, Mitsubishi Motors, and many others.
The Renault City K-ZE EV CUV was also unveiled at the 2019 Shanghai Auto. In addition, the event also saw 129 world car debuts, according to a post-show report. The next Auto Shanghai is scheduled to be held in April 21 to 28, 2021.
8 Woodward Dream Cruise
Unlike most of the other car shows, the Woodward Dream Cruise is a relatively smaller event that celebrates everything we’ve come to love about classic cars. According to its website, this is the largest one-day auto event in the world, attracting as much as 1.5 people.
An estimated 40,000 classic cars are said to be showcased throughout the day. These include cars that were even flown in from Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and even the Soviet Union. The Woodward Dream Cruise is also famous for its Cruise In Shoes event, which is a five-kilometer run or walk.
7 CarFest North And South
CarFest North and South is a car event that was started by radio announcer Chris Evans. Evans created the event in 2012 to solely raise money for BBC Children in Need. Over the years, the event grew to an annual festival that celebrates cars and music.
Unfortunately, the recent situation has forced CarFest to abandon its plans for 2020. Nonetheless, it plans to be back next year to hold a “fully socially distanced” three-day extravaganza. The festival also plans to raise as much as £2 million (approximately $2.5 million) to benefit children’s charities.
6 Goodwood Festival Of Speed
The Goodwood Estate has always figured in British motor racing history. And so, it only made sense to hold a Goodwood Festival of Speed. Founded back in 1993 by Lord March, the event is made extra special by the appearance of F1 cars such as those belonging to Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull.
Moreover, it’s also where attendees get a chance to meet F1 stars such as Lewis Hamilton, and more. At the same time, there are supercars who choose to make their debut at the Goodwood Festival so make sure that you don’t miss out on any of these.
5 British International Motor Show
2020 was supposed to be a banner year for the British International Motor Show. The event was supposed to make a comeback this year, after being absent from the scene since its last show in 2008. In the past, the show had set the stage for the world debut of cars such as the Jaguar S-Type, Lexus IS 200, and the Rover 75.
Although the show had to postpone its event for 2020, it has already announced that it will hold an event from August 19 to 22, 2021. Tickets are already on sale if you’re interested.
4 London Motor Show
Just like the British International Motor Show, the London Motor Show took a hiatus before staging a comeback. The show started holding annual events once again in 2016 and it has kept going since. In recent years, this is where MG had decided to unveil its first fully electric vehicle, an SUV model known as the ZS EV.
Meanwhile, this is also the event where McLaren held a U.K. debut for its 570GT. The next London Motor Show has already been planned for July 2021 and the upcoming show will reportedly highlight technology.
3 Tokyo Motor Show
The Tokyo Motor Show (TMS) has always been known as one of the most exciting car shows in the world. Held every other year, the show is famous for showcasing some of the most futuristic cars ever created.
During the 2019 TMS, Mitsubishi unveiled the two-seater Mi-Tech while Nissan introduced its Ariya family SUV concept. Meanwhile, Toyota showed off its two-seater eRacer concept car. The next TMS is reportedly scheduled to be held in October/November 2021. For the upcoming event, the theme is said to be an “open future.”
2 Paris Motor Show
Just like other international car shows, the Paris Motor Show is also held every other year. In the past, carmakers have come to the show to showcase some of its most futuristic concepts. For instance, Smart displayed its Forease, a two-seater convertible that is roofless and cute. Peugeot also introduced the E-Legend and according to Motor Trend, the car can go from 0 to 60 mph in four seconds.
Meanwhile, Renault displayed the EZ-Ultimo, EZ-Go, and EZ-Pro. The 2020 Paris Motor Show was supposed to be held in October. However, it was canceled due to the recent situation.
1 Geneva Motor Show
The Geneva Motor Show is arguably the most popular car show in the world. It’s arguably the event where most automakers choose to hold their car debuts. In the past, this is where we’ve witnessed the unveiling of cars such as the BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe, 2019 Ferrari 488 Pista, 2019 Lamborghini Huracán Performante Spyder, 2018 Bentley Continental Supersports, and many others.
Meanwhile, the current situation resulted in the cancellation of the 2020 Geneva Motor Show. Some of the cars that were supposed to make their world debut here include the Bentley Mulliner Bacalar and the Rimac C_Two Hypercar.