HOUSTON — As Jeep Gladiators, Grand Cherokees and Wranglers conquered hills and uneven terrain set up inside the expansive NRG Center, it almost felt like old times.

That feeling of normalcy was among the biggest attractions for visitors to this month’s Houston Summer Auto Show, one of the first new-vehicle expos since the coronavirus pandemic began more than a year ago. So was Camp Jeep, a show staple that draws long lines and resembles an amusement park attraction.

There were new rules, a reminder that the world is still coping with a crisis as auto shows begin to reemerge, meaning riders got the Jeep experience only from the back seat as masked drivers whisked them around the bumpy setup. Once the rides ended, cleaning crews disinfected the Jeeps and nearby Rams, which had a test track of their own, before the next passengers hopped in.

“We’re pumped to be back,” said Benny Munguia, a Camp Jeep track manager who was shuttling people around the course and felt safe with the additional protocols that were put in place. “I’ve been doing it a long time, and I missed driving a lot.”

The Houston Automobile Dealers Association, which runs the show, had to overcome a barrage of obstacles befitting Camp Jeep, including evolving public health guidelines and the microchip shortage that prompted some automakers to skip the event because they lacked inventory to show. In some cases, local dealers stepped up to represent their brands with independent displays.

Organizers also had just a few months to put the whole thing together. The May dates they had been aiming for were originally blocked by the popular Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, but when that multiweek event was canceled, the dealer association sprang into action.

Some automakers, including Kia, Stellantis and Subaru, committed immediately. Others didn’t sign on until just before the mid-April deadline.

With extra floor space to fill, the association expanded the five-day show to include boats, RVs and fishing and hunting knives. It also added “summer” to the name to reflect the move from the show’s usual January timing.

Back in March, planners thought they would need to check attendees’ temperatures and require face masks. They attended an auto auction to see how the temperature checks worked, said RoShelle Salinas, executive vice president of the Houston Automobile Dealers Association. It was an extra expense the group was prepared to take on, but improving conditions and the ongoing vaccine rollout ultimately made it unnecessary.

The mask requirement was another wild card that shifted at the last minute. The show planned to require masks until the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said May 13 that people who were fully vaccinated could ditch them in most situations.

So the show said masks would be recommended but not required. Many attendees wore masks anyway.

The CDC’s updated guidance relieved a potential headache in trying to enforce mask-wearing, said Wyatt Wainwright, association president.

“For us to be able to put on this summer show, it’s been amazing, and all of the topsy-turvy, all of the fears of people not understanding how to do it, and how to do it safely, I think we did it,” Wainwright told Automotive News. “We held to the total number we can have in the building to the capacity limits yet didn’t infringe on anybody having a great experience.”

Show visitors were thankful that the event returned and looked forward to more normal activities.

Although the show was mostly intact, some traditions were missing. The ride-and-drive lounge that features 80 models for people to try out was gone this year because brands were limiting drive opportunities, but the show plans for it to return next January. Ford and Subaru held their own ride-and-drives.

James Berry, a Houston resident who attends the show every year, said he had no qualms about going. “All of the trends are going down,” said Berry, who is vaccinated.

He thought the Ford Mustang Mach-E was “slick” and enjoyed the Ram display because he was considering buying a pickup.

“It’s just a lot of fun,” he said. “Even if you’re not in the market for a car, it’s cool to see everything.”

Jared Richards of Houston said he wasn’t worried about the pandemic. The biggest eye-catchers for him were the Ford Bronco, the Mach-E and the Chevrolet Corvette.

“If you feel like getting the vaccine, you should get it; if you don’t, you shouldn’t get it,” Richards said. “I think it’s a personal preference.”

Another spectator, Eric Gay, said it was time to get back to normal life.

“I’m glad they could actually squeeze it in this year,” Gay said. “It would be nice if they had more selection out, but it’s still good to see the new models.”

The show drew around 40,000 visitors, down from the typical 100,000, but Salinas was encouraged, considering the circumstances. In addition to the pandemic, she figures rainy weather and the unfamiliar date stunted attendance.

Salinas said developing plans for ticket sales was a roller-coaster ride. The venue initially told organizers they couldn’t have ticket windows open, which would have been a tough break for a show that sells 90 percent of its tickets on-site.

But the parameters eventually shifted, and nine ticket windows were allowed. Attendees also had the option to buy tickets online in advance or by using their phone to scan a QR code on signs at the arena.

Salinas said the association began meeting with organizers from other shows around the country last fall to see how they were handling the challenges in their areas. The Houston show, when it was planning to have a mask mandate, used footage of masked visitors to the Oklahoma City show in March for TV ads to help set expectations.

Dave Sloan, general manager of the Chicago Auto Show, which is planning a mid-July event, said he had been conversing with other show organizers during the pandemic. He said it was “great news” when the Central Florida International Auto Show in Orlando happened in December and that he gathered feedback from automakers that participated to see what worked for them.

At the moment, Sloan is planning for the Chicago show to mandate masks. The event will be scaled down to a little over half of its usual 1 million square feet but will add outdoor activities, such as a Bronco course, that it never had because of the winter weather. The show normally takes place in February.

“I think we’ve all been learning from each other,” said Salinas, adding that she hoped “people can learn and use our show as an example for their own.”

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