2014 Detroit Auto Show Still A Go Despite City's Bankruptcy
The 2014 North American International Auto Show will take place as scheduled at Cobo Center next January, show organizers said yesterday.
There had been concerns raised over the fate of the show, which has been held every year since 1965, due to Thursday’s bankruptcy filing by the city of Detroit. Detroit has accumulated some $20 billion in debt and has struggled to pay creditors.
In an interview with Automotive News, Rod Alberts, executive director of the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, said of the bankruptcy “It was something that had to happen for Detroit to move forward. It’s our opportunity now to actually relieve ourselves from this legacy of liabilities that we have and get a fresh start for the city.”
Since Cobo Center operates independently from the city of Detroit, the bankruptcy should have little effect. Show organizers did say that in the wake of incidents like the Boston bombing they will be hiring and managing the security for the show themselves, instead of relying on private companies to beef things up.
