SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

S I walked through the 2021 SEMA show, I heard rumblings from so-called industry pundits that the show was a bust – it was too small, there weren’t as many vendors and new products, and the overall feeling was sedate. My reply to those naysayers is, “Quit your bitching!” I’ve been attending SEMA since 1995, and while it is true that the event seemed a bit quieter than in pre-pandemic years, 2021 attracted more than 100,000 exhibitors, buyers, manufacturers and media attendees. There were thousands of modified cars, trucks, rat rods and overlanders, demo drives in the new Ford Bronco and drift cars, and just about anything else a died-in-the-wool gearhead could love. It also debuted the new West