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New York auto show cancelled fourth time in a row due to COVID-19 surge

A rise in cases of the Delta variant mean the NYIAS won't start August 19 after all, but April 2022 (hopefully)

Matthew Guy
Aug 04, 2021  •  August 4, 2021  •  2 minute read  •  Join the conversation
Opening day at the 2019 New York Auto Show
Opening day at the 2019 New York Auto Show, the last one held prior to the pandemic Photo by New York International Auto Show

Little has stood in the way of the New York International Auto show over its 121-year history — until COVID-19 showed up and wrecked everyone’s plans, that is. The 2021 edition of the show, originally scheduled for its traditional slot earlier this year and then postponed for about four months, has now been cancelled entirely.

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For this calendar year, at least. Citing the growing incidences of the COVID-19 Delta variant and increased measures announced recently by State and local officials to stop its spread, organizers announced today there will not be a show this year after all. The plan was for the event to kick off August 19, after having previously been rescheduled four times.

Now organizers are instead looking forward to April 2022, a point at which they ‘firmly believe’ they will once again be able to host the world’s motoring press and the general public.

“At the onset of planning for the August Show, we were increasingly excited at the prospect of hosting the event as the number of vaccinations in New York continued to climb and mask-wearing reduced the spread in the City,” said Mark Schienberg, president of the show in a statement. “All signs were positive, and the Show was coming together stronger than ever, but today is a different story.”

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Auto shows have been an increasingly tough sell to automakers, even before the pandemic, since they require huge monetary and logistical investments for the sake of showing a few vehicles in a static environment. Still, there’s an argument to be made that there is no substitute for seeing and experiencing a vehicle in person, a point made clear over the last 18 months when virtual debuts of new vehicles became the norm.

New York has traditionally been a show at which automakers introduce some important new models, and this year was shaping up to be no exception. Nissan was poised to show off its new Z sports car, while Subaru apparently had a WRX up its sleeve for showgoers. Those reveals will now surely take place in a virtual environment.

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