By Della Domingo
Featuring a combination of star-studded celebrities, iconic and historic vehicles and brand-new builds featuring modern amenities, the SEMA Show Vehicle Reveal will provide media with an advance preview of the vehicles that will be showcased at the exclusive four-day SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Taking place Monday, Nov. 1, from 5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.—the evening before the SEMA Show officially opens—the Vehicle Reveal teases about a dozen high-profile projects and gives participants an idea as to the innovation that will be on display at the exclusive business-to-business trade show.
“With two years’ worth of innovation, the SEMA Show is going to be jam-packed with excitement,” said Tom Gattuso, SEMA vice president of events. “We never know what we’ll see at the SEMA Show until we get on the Show floor. The Monday evening Vehicle Reveal is a unique opportunity for media to get a jump on some of the vehicles and news that will be debuting.”
Ant Anstead will share a Radford Lotus Type 62/2 Gold Leaf car built in collaboration with Jenson Button at the SEMA Show Vehicle Reveal.
During the Vehicle Reveal, the SEMA Awards will be presented to recognize the hottest new vehicle models on the market for personalization. Awards are presented annually in categories for SEMA Car, SEMA 4x4/SUV, SEMA Sport Compact, and SEMA Full-Size Truck of the Year. New this year will be an award for SEMA Mid-Size Truck of the Year.
Representatives from winning automakers, who collaborate with the SEMA and its members throughout the year, will be on-site to accept the prestigious awards.
Among the celebrities at the Vehicle Reveal will be Ant Anstead, host of “Celebrity IOU: Joyride.” Anstead will showcase and share details about some of his favorite vehicle builds, including a custom ’62 Buick that has been converted into an electric car in collaboration with American actor James Marsden as a gift to his deserving friend, Will. The project is what Anstead describes as the most ambitious EV build; it maintains the appearance of a classic American car, but operates as a state-of-the-art bespoke electric vehicle with carbon-fiber parts and a brand-new Karma Revero concealed underneath.
Anstead will share another modern classic at the SEMA Show Vehicle Reveal: A Radford Lotus Type 62/2 Gold Leaf car built in collaboration with Jenson Button, 2009 Formula One World Champion and Super GT Series Champion. The coach-built car marks the return of the iconic Radford vehicles from the ’40s and ’50s. Anstead and Button will road trip in the Type 62/2 to the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, where they will be on hand to share details about the production of this model.
Other vehicles that will make their way down the red carpet-style runway include the new ’23 Nissan Z, a ’53 Corvette-inspired carbon-fiber concept car by Dave Kindig and some surprises from GM.
The SEMA Show Vehicle Reveal takes place in conjunction with the Exhibitor Appreciation Reception, where exhibitors relax before launching into four consecutive days of meeting face-to-face with resellers, distributors and media from the worldwide automotive industry. Exhibitors will fill the 2.5 million sq.-ft. Las Vegas Convention Center with displays and in-person demonstrations of new products designed to enhance the performance, styling, comfort, convenience and safety of cars, trucks and SUVs. The 2021 SEMA Show, which marks the first industry-wide, in-person gathering since 2019, will include more than 1,300 exhibitors and 40,000 registered buyers to date.
For more information about the November 2–5, 2021 SEMA Show, visit www.semashow.com.