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An auto show, also known as a motor show or car show, is a public exhibition of current
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.
International Organisation of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers
Auto-fairs.com – International show calendar
Auto Show Listings
Cars & Coffee Meets
{{Auto shows
An auto show, also known as a motor show or car show, is a public exhibition of current automobile
A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, peopl ...
models, debuts, concept cars, or out-of-production classics. It is attended by automotive industry
The automotive industry comprises a wide range of company, companies and organizations involved in the design, Business development, development, manufacturing, marketing, selling, Maintenance, repairing, and Custom car, modification of motor ve ...
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
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...
, Geneva
Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
, Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
and Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
. 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
The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural list of regions of the United States, region of the United States that includes Arizona and New Mexico, along with adjacen ...
; lowrider, high technology
High technology (high tech or high-tech), also known as advanced technology (advanced tech) or exotechnology, is technology that is at the cutting edge: the highest form of technology available. It can be defined as either the most complex or ...
, electric vehicle
An electric vehicle (EV) is a motor vehicle whose propulsion is powered fully or mostly by electricity. EVs encompass a wide range of transportation modes, including road vehicle, road and rail vehicles, electric boats and Submersible, submer ...
, and other enthusiast show, are popular in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, Las Vegas
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, Albuquerque, San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
, and Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
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
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport freight, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construction ...
and almost any other types of vehicles such as Auto Expo in Delhi brings a variety of vehicles ranging from private to commercial.
Manufacturer and Dealer shows
TheInternational Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers
The International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA; ), founded 1919 in Paris, is an international trade association whose members are 39 national automotive industry trade associations. OICA facilitates communication among its mem ...
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.
Enthusiast 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.
List of auto shows
See also
*Auto racing
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...
* Premiere
* Show car
* Concept cars
* Custom cars
* Tire lettering
* List of motor vehicle awards
* Modesto American Graffiti Festival
References
External links
International Organisation of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers
Auto-fairs.com – International show calendar
Auto Show Listings
Cars & Coffee Meets
{{Auto shows