Chevy’s SEMA Absence An Echo From A Bygone Era?

Just this week, Bowtie enthusiasts from coast to coast stared at the updated floor plan of the main hall of the SEMA show and were awed at the fact that Chevrolet was not among those listed to display their wares at the annual event held in November. Truth be told, neither Chevrolet nor Chevrolet Performance is listed among those with intent to display. Ford and Toyota have also decided to sit this one out as well, but I digress.

The news first hit the internet when Muscle Cars & Trucks noted that Chevy wasn’t listed in its usual place on the floor map. The only admission from the Blue Box was a statement from a Chevrolet spokesperson that stated, “GM has made the decision not to participate in the 2022 SEMA Show. The SEMA show has always inspired us, and accessories and performance parts remain an important part of our business.”

While on the surface, this may appear very similar to the meteor that awed the dinosaurs as it appeared over the prehistoric horizon. We don’t think the term “extinction” has any bearing in this conversation, but if we were to look back into the not-so-distant past, we may find that this current scenario only confirms that, “All things old are new again.”

Only some of the more “seasoned” of our readers may remember when GM entered into a gentleman’s agreement with other OEMs, to pull back from the heat of competition. For those who are hearing of this for the first time, here’s a good read about some of what transpired when everyone was searching for speed and no one was talking about it.

The Automobile Manufacturers Association placed a ban on factory-supported racing back in the late 50s. Supposedly, the OEMs were out of racing because the sport had fallen out of vogue due to some horrific accidents. While truly sorrowful, the events were the catalyst that created the groundswell response….