Auto show
Exhibition of vehicles
An auto show, also known as a motor show or car show, is a public exhibition of current automobile models, debuts, concept cars, or out-of-production classics. It is attended by automotive industry representatives, dealers, auto journalists and car enthusiasts. Most auto shows occur once or twice a year. They are important to car manufacturers and local dealers as a public relations exercise, as they advertise new products and promote auto brands. The five most prestigious auto shows, sometimes called the "Big Five", are generally considered to be held in Detroit, Frankfurt, Geneva, Paris and Tokyo. Car enthusiast communities along the historic U.S. Route 66 are credited with general popularization of car meets, including ethnic groups such as the Hispanos of New Mexico, Chicanos, and Mexican-Americans of the Southwestern United States; lowrider, high technology, electric vehicle, and other enthusiast show, are popular in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, San Francisco, and Chicago for this reason.
Some auto shows have more than just cars including: all sorts of other vehicles. The types of vehicles can include buses, trucks and almost any other types of vehicles such as Auto Expo in Delhi brings a variety of vehicles ranging from private to commercial.
01Manufacturer and Dealer shows
The International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers organizes many auto shows, including the Big Five. These shows all have an advertising purpose. They are held as part of the sales strategy of the manufacturers.
02Enthusiast shows
There are other car shows that are organized by car enthusiast associations, automobile dealers, retail businesses, charitable organizations, or municipalities. There is no generally accepted term for these more common events.
Manufacturer car shows typically showcase vehicles currently being manufactured and available for purchase. Enthusiast car shows showcase individually owned vehicles, that are not currently being manufactured, and that are not available for purchase.
Enthusiast car shows have rules of entry, limiting the types of vehicles that may be shown, e.g. classic cars, hot rods, single-models (Corvette, Packard, Mustang, etc.), type of vehicle (station wagons, pickup trucks, orphan brands, etc…)
Enthusiast car shows usually draw their entries locally. There are many car shows in various localities across many nations. Some may even be free to go to.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Auto show”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Auto show at the Toronto Armouries.jpg by William James, Public domain
- 2013 IAA DSC01972 DxO (9879472923) (2).jpg by youkeys, CC BY 2.0
- Centre200 carshow.JPG by Freshfighter9, Public domain
- Lorries and Buses GIIAS 2017.JPG by VulcanSphere, CC BY 4.0
- Rockville Antique and Classic Car Show 2015 in Maryland 2of4.jpg by CZmarlin, Christopher Ziemnowicz, a photo credit is required if this image is used anywhere other than Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 4.0
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