Coup de grâce for the Geneva Motor Show

The organizers of the Geneva Motor Show pull down the curtain due to the growing lack of interest from manufacturers for this type of event.

Automobile shows as we have known them over the past 100 years may be destined to disappear. This is unfortunately the sad reality that no one can deny in light of the difficulties faced by the Paris Motor Show and the prolonged pause of the Geneva Motor Show.

First held in 1905, the Geneva Motor Show was considered the major European automotive event, with no less than 120 exhibitors and around 600,000 visitors at its peak. The Covid crisis led to a pause in 2019 followed by a muted return in 2024. With only 23 manufacturers displaying their vehicles, it was significantly smaller than the lavish pre-pandemic events, with notable absences from the brands of the Stellantis and Volkswagen groups.

Hopeless…

Despite this, the next Swiss show was supposed to open its doors in February 2025, but the organizing committee confirmed this week that the doors will remain closed until further notice. The statement clarifies that “This decision follows an awareness that market conditions in Europe are not conducive to the success of future editions.”

The decision does not affect the Geneva Auto Show in Qatar, which was held for the first time in Doha in 2023, during the four-year interruption of the Geneva show. The next edition is still planned for November 2025.

The signs, however, are still positive for the next Paris Motor Show, scheduled for October 14 to 20, which promises to be much more cheerful than the dismal last edition. Let’s sincerely wish it great popular success, as it would be sad for future generations of young French motorists not to have the chance to stroll through its aisles holding hands with their parents, their eyes filled with stars.

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