New York car show postponed over virus
This year’s New York International Auto Show has been postponed from April to August, due to “ongoing health concerns from the spread of the coronavirus in the region”.
Organisers announced the decision on March 10 (US time) and it comes hot on the heels of the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland being cancelled because of COVID-19.
The New York event was due to kick-off on April 8 but has now been rescheduled for August 28 to September 6, with press days being held on August 26 and 27.
“We are taking this extraordinary step to help protect our attendees, exhibitors and all participants from the coronavirus,” says Mark Schienberg, president of the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association, the organisation that owns and operates the show.
“For 120 years, ‘the show must go on’ has been heavily embedded in our DNA, and while the decision to move the show dates didn’t come easy, our top priority remains with the health and well-being of all those involved in this historic event.
“We have already been in communication with many of our exhibitors and partners and are confident that the new dates for the 2020 show will make for another successful event.”
The decision follows New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declaring a state of emergency due to the spread of COVID-19, which has infected more than 110,000 people and claimed more than 4,000 lives worldwide.
It remains to be seen whether marques delay the scheduled debuts of new models as a result of the postponement, with the Ford Bronco Sport among the high-profile unveilings that were set to take place in New York.
