Study Finds Car Shows Lead to More Sales for Participating Automakers

• 9,000 visitors were polled after having attended either the 2024 Los Angeles Auto Show, the 2025 New York Auto Show, or the 2025 Toronto Auto Show.

• 40% of visitors plan to buy a new vehicle within a year of the show, 28% of them actually did.

• Younger Gen Z visitors are the most likely to recommend the auto show to friend’s and family.

Many believe that auto shows are a thing of the past, especially since the 2020 pandemic, after which many major events struggled to get back to their previous glory.

A new study polling 9,000 visitors to the latest edition of the Los Angeles, New York, and Toronto Auto Shows suggests the opposite, however.

Indeed, data shows that those who attend these large automotive events are 2.9 times more likely to buy a new vehicle within a year than the average consumer.

The proportion of visitors who intend to get a new vehicle within the next two years is even higher, at 68%.

While these metrics are self-reported and therefore not necessarily accurate, further data proves that it’s not all hot air.

Indeed, auto show visitors do engage with automakers and dealerships at a higher rate than the market average.

Out of the 40% of visitors who intend to buy a new vehicle within the next 12 months, 58% went online to learn more about a specific model after the event, 55% visited a dealership to inquire about a vehicle, 39% performed a test drive, and 28% ended up purchasing or leasing a new car.

Interestingly, Gen Z visitors, those aged 20 to 29, are 1.5 times more likely to recommend a visit to the show to their friends and family than others, which suggests young drivers are more enthusiastic about automotive events than their older counterparts.

While the majority of attendees don’t end up buying a new vehicle as a result of their visit, auto shows still play a key role in brand awareness.

For example, 80% of the visitors polled said they attended to see new models and brands, 37% were there to help choose which new vehicle to buy, and 21% primarily wanted to learn more about electric vehicles.

More compelling is the notion that automakers who don’t exhibit their vehicles at major events are three times less likely to be considered by visitors, while those who are present experience a 2.5 times increase in purchase consideration.

Nevertheless, a number of automakers, including Honda, Mazda, and Volkswagen, have confirmed they will not take part in the 2026 Canadian Auto Show circuit. These brands did not exhibit at the 2025 Toronto Auto Show either.

Darren Slind, co-founder and president of Clarify Group, the entity that ran the study, says that auto shows enhance the modern vehicle buying process by bridging the gap between digital and in-person shopping experiences.

According to the study, auto shows are also an effective tool to allow prospective buyers to compare similar models directly, as the average visitor spends more than four hours at the event, during which time they experience around 9 vehicles.

It will be interesting to see if the study is expanded to account for the 2026 auto show season, which is set to begin this winter.

Source: Automotive News Canada