The SEMA Show Keeps Fueling America’s Love Affair with the Automobile

If you’re one of those who think America has lost its love of the automobile you might want to make a trip to Las Vegas next week to take in the 2024 SEMA Show. The annual event is an automotive love fest highlighting all the things you can do to customize your car, truck or crossover.

Take Ford. The automaker’s stand will show off dozens of parts and packages that will help your Bronco stand out from everyone else’s – from black lug nuts to extended fender flares. Over at the MOPAR stand, Ford’s rival Stellantis will spotlight a heavily customized Jeep Gladiator and several other one-off models.

Wander around the 2.5 million square-foot Las Vegas Convention Center and you’ll find more than 2,400 automakers and aftermarket vendors hawking everything from hanging air fresheners to high-performance crate motors.

The good news for 2024 is that SEMA is opening up the show to the general public for one night, while adding a concert featuring big name performers to wrap things off.

Big money

Founded in 1963, the Specialty Equipment Market Association represents the vast majority of automotive aftermarket suppliers.

The trade group’s collective revenues have surged sharply in recent years, jumping from $37.18 billion in 2014 to $46.20 billion five years later. All told, its members are expected to generate a record $53.4 billion in revenue this year, said events chief Tom Gattuso. That’s a 15% increase from 2019 and while COVID forced the trade group to cancel the 2020 SEMA show, the pandemic actually gave a big nudge to the automotive aftermarket, he said during an interview.

 

“COVID was a terrible thing…but got people to focus on their vehicles,” said Gattuso, since the pandemic lockdowns meant they couldn’t do things like dining out or going to concerts.

In many cases, vehicle owners wound up with more money in their pockets, cash they could spend on their vehicles. According to various industry analysts, the typical pickup buyer now spends more than $2,000 customizing their vehicles.

A changing aftermarket

The pandemic led to a number of other changes – which can be seen at the SEMA Show. Attendees have skewed younger over the past five years, said Gattuso, averaging in their low to mid-40s.

Among vehicle owners, meanwhile, there’s been a growing interest in overlanding and off-roading – readily apparent in the growing demand for rugged models like the Ford Bronco and the recently redesigned Toyota Tacoma pickup and Land Cruiser SUV.

This year’s show will highlight this trend with the SEMA Overland Experience which will take over an entire parking lot at the convention center. “We (will) highlight custom vehicles and introduce exciting new features that demonstrate what is coming next in the category,” said Andy Tompkins, the trade show’s director.

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Performance still rules – but there’s a twist

In its early years, the SEMA Show was all about muscle. And, over the years, automakers have used the event to introduce a variety of performance vehicles, such as the Chevrolet COPA Camaro and a procession of Ford Mustangs.

Horsepower still matters and showgoers will see plenty of high-performance products – though that includes more SUVs and pickups than sedans and sports cars this year, reflecting ongoing market trends.

At the Ford stand you’ll find the heavily modified Solomon Lunger Custom 1968 F-100, known as Clyde, featuring a Ford Performance F-150 Raptor R crate engine.

The shift to light trucks isn’t the only big change, said SEMA Vice President Gattuso. He’s looking forward to seeing a custom Chevy Chevelle that’s had its gas engine swapped out for an all-electric drivetrain. EVs, especially high-performance models like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, have gained an increasing presence at SEMA.

The Korean carmaker’s sibling Kia brand will show an assortment of performance and off-road models, including versions of its EV9 and Carnival minivan.

Going forward, Gattuso added, SEMA will see a lot more alternative technologies on display, whether electric, hydrogen or synthetic fuels. The challenge will be for members to come up with ways to customize vehicles, whatever power source they use, and to continue fueling America’s love affair with the automobile.

Open to the public

In a city known for its big conventions, the SEMA Show still stands out. During the pandemic it leapfrogged the annual Consumer Electronics Show to become Sin City’s biggest event. That’s all the more impressive considering the aftermarket show has traditionally been open solely to those in the automotive business.

But SEMA has begun looking for other opportunities, reaching out to the public in a variety of ways. It will be live-streaming a number of news events this year. And 2024 marks the return of SEMA Show Friday Enthusiast Experience, where the general public can purchase tickets to get a look inside the convention center. This year’s event wraps up with a public concert set to feature performances by Cage the Elephant, Sublime, Fitz and the Tantrums and Petey.

The 2024 SEMA Show runs from November 5 through 8.