Coronavirus Pushes Back New York Auto Show to August
After Geneva, New York postponed out of an abundance of virus-related caution.
There’s no substitute for seeing and touching the cars that we all love. Porsche in particular always brings pomp and circumstance to the shows it attends. Similarly, auto shows are often the only time of year enthusiasts and journalists get to spend significant time behind the wheel of every new vehicle in an automaker’s stable. It’s a great way to celebrate car culture.
Unfortunately, car people of all ages will most likely have to find another way to spend their time this spring. In response to growing concerns over the coronavirus, the New York International Auto Show is being pushed back to August. Originally, the show was scheduled to take place in mid-April. Current plans now have the show starting in late August and continuing through early September. Public health must obviously take precedence over any type of automotive gathering. Still, it’s not hard to lament the auto show’s decreasing influence in the age of the internet.
Auto Show on Hold
Unlike Geneva, the organizers behind the New York International Auto Show had more time to assess the situation. That’s most likely the reason why the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association, who is responsible for the show, was able to successfully postpone the show. Another factor may have been the venue itself. The Jacob K. Javits Center, which has hosted the auto show since the late 1980s, is essentially New York City’s only convention center. In addition to the yearly automotive event, it also hosts the New York Comic Con. Those two events seem to have allowed the venue to spread out their large trade shows, which means there was ample space in their schedule to accommodate the date change. Ultimately, this is very good news for Porsche fans and the public at large. Hopefully, the current situation will stabilize by summer and allow everyone to enjoy the show, albeit at a later date.
Future Plans
With the postponement taking place several weeks ahead of the show’s press days, it is currently unclear if Porsche planned any type of large reveal for New York. The company did plan to formally reveal the new 911 at Geneva, but was unable to do so. With the advent of online streaming, it is entirely possible that automakers decide against major show debuts. While that is regrettable, we cannot fault the show organizers for this recent decision. These precautionary measures will hopefully ensure that New York to chill out, cool down, and see some very excellent cars towards the end of this summer. It will be a great way to beat the heat!
Photos: Edward Snitkoff for Rennlist