SEMA 2021
Las Vegas, NVTuesday, November 2, 2021
Photos by: Allen Smith
Anticipation, anxiety, excitement, no matter what you were feeling nothing could feel better than opening day of SEMA 2021. After the bitter long hiatus due to things out of their control SEMA organizers rolled out the red carpet to greet the automotive aftermarket with open arms and new beginnings for the automotive industry to remember 2021.
SEMA was the first major convention in Las Vegas since the pandemic and the first to use the new addition of the convention center which now is a whooping 4.6 million square feet with an additional 2.2 million square feet of outdoor space. This solidifies that SEMA is the largest North American automotive trade show and with attendees and exhibitors totaling more than 100,000 this would be a show to go down in automotive history.
If an experience was what you were looking for then you were not disappointed. The Chip Foose Experience which featured 20 of his most iconic vehicles is the largest collection of Foose designed and built vehicles ever featured in one place. The SCORE Baja 1000 Experience was a display of over 50 off-road racing vehicles including trophy trucks, buggies and motorcycles that showcased the history of the sport. There was also a West Coast Customs Experience, The Overland Experience and SEMA Electrified that put the spotlight on electric vehicles and products for conversions. Ford Out Front puts on a show for attendees with all the tire smoking action you can handle.
The New Products Showcase always features hundreds of new products in multiple categories. The Battle of The Builders competition is always a fight to the finish, but Robert Matranga took the honors this year with his beautiful 1955 Chevrolet called “Brute Force” named for the 540ci Merlin engine that supplies 1400hp to this bowtie.
The industry seems to be embracing electrification and the future of EV vehicles is here and is a growing segment of the aftermarket. There were plenty of examples on the SEMA floor from vehicles to products for the EV market.
The aftermarket is alive and well and everyone was excited to reconnect and network with friends and colleagues again. SEMA was so exciting and after waiting so long it breathed new life back into the industry and motivates people to get started on new products and projects for next year.
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