Legendary motor show that’s been running for over 100 years AXED – as fans cry ‘rest in peace’
A MUCH-loved car show that’s been running for more than a century has been axed.
Car lovers have been left devastated by the news that the legendary Geneva Motor Show has been canned.
Bosses have blamed Covid and the fact there “too many uncertainties” in the current climate.
They added that the way the motors industry was moving had started to erode the popularity of the Swiss show.
The show was first held in 1905 and quickly became known as the big European motor event.
There was a time when around 120 exhibitors and 600,000 people came along for a look.
Motors lovers took to social media to share their heartbreak, with some saying it was one of the “major shows” they’d attend year-on-year.
One fan said: “Let’s keep a minute of silence for the best auto show that has ever existed.
“The industry has irrevocably taken a new direction and will never again be what we were so passionate about. Rest in peace.”
Another said: “I used to get so excited for the reveals that would happen on the show.”
To which one person wrote: “That’s so sad.”
One other added: “This is the end of the world as we know it.”
President Alexandre de Senarclens blasted a “lack of interest from manufacturers” and the growing competition as “the final blow for a future edition”.
He continued: “This extremely regrettable decision should not detract from the efforts and determination with which we have tried to regain our success.
“The teams had put all their determination into reviving this motor show after the Covid pandemic.”
Comité Permanent du Salon International de l’Automobile said: “This decision follows the recognition that market conditions in Europe are not conducive to the success of future editions.”
The devastating news comes just weeks after three news innovations were revealed at this year’s show.
Motor manufacturers flocked from far and wide to use the show to promote their latest models and showcase concept cars, with many offering unique features.
This extremely regrettable decision should not detract from the efforts and determination with which we have tried to regain our success.
This was the first time the event has been held in Switzerland since the Covid pandemic and it did not disappoint, delighting petrol heads with its quirky modern cars
Standout displays included a car that could drive on water, a vehicle with two seats on the bonnet, and a motor with a rotating touchscreen.
Sam Sheehan, motoring editor at Cinch, noted that one of the coolest cars seen at the show is the Yangwang U8, a Chinese alternative to the Land Rover Defender.
It has the ability to float to help the driver escape if the vehicle lands in water.
He said: “The U8 has arrived as a 1,186bhp plug-in hybrid luxury SUV that takes on the new Land Rover Discovery 130.
“Unlike it’s British rival, the U8 is a massive floatation device.
“This makes it safer in the event of an accident in the water, keeping all passengers upright and dry.
“As soon as it senses you’ve driven into the water, Emergency Floating Mode activates, shutting down the engine, raising the suspension, closing the windows, opening the sunroof and displaying water depth and vehicle position on the central control system.”
History of the Geneva Motor Show:
As outlined on the Geneva International Motor Show website
1905-1907
The first Geneva International Motor Show in Switzerland was held from 29 April to 7 May 1905 in the Bâtiment électoral in Geneva. The chair of the organising committee was Charles Louis Empeyta, who was also the president of the Swiss Automobile Club (ACS).
The event was an immediate success: the Show and its 37 stands welcomed over 17,000 visitors and the Confederation sent Federal Councillor Ludwig Forrer to the inauguration. Buoyed by its success, Geneva went on to repeat the operation from 28 April to 6 May 1906. The third event, however, took place in Zurich, in 1907.
1923-1925
The challenging times meant that the following years were marked by a series of unsuccessful attempts to put on another automotive show in Switzerland. It was not until 1923 that the fourth Swiss Motor Show was able to open in the Bâtiment électoral in Geneva, under the chairmanship of Robert Marchand, who played a significant role in improving and expanding the Show, as well as advancing the Swiss automotive industry.
The success of the fourth Show led to the creation of the Standing Committee of the International Motor Show in Geneva on 23 November 1923.
The committee got to work immediately, organising the first International Motor, Motorcycle and Cycle Show in Geneva, from 14 to 23 March 1924.
The high number of registrations required an 8,000 m2 building to be constructed on the Plaine de Plainpalais.
The President of the Swiss Confederation, Ernest Chuard, opened this first international Show with due ceremony. It brought together 200 exhibitors and welcomed 68,000 visitors. The boost it gave to sales was such that the number of motor vehicles in Switzerland increased from 33,000 to 39,000 in a year. No sooner had the Show closed, than the committee began looking for a suitable venue for its event. The second International Show was held in 1925, again in the Bâtiment électoral, and in a temporary hall of 12,500 m2, built on the Plaine de Plainpalais.
Work began on building an Exhibition Centre in the autumn, thanks to the efforts of Robert Marchand and financial support from both the cantonal and municipal authorities in Geneva, and those with industrial and commercial interests in the canton. The Show was held there from 1926 onwards, in June rather than the spring. That year it welcomed 224 exhibitors, including 83 makes of car from eight different countries, and 25 makes of motorcycle.
1926-1939
From 1926 to 1939, the number of exhibitors gradually grew beyond 200, forcing the organisers to add a temporary hall to the Palais des Expositions, which was now too small. By 1934, the Geneva Motor Show had earned a worldwide reputation.
1947-1980
Following the interruption caused by the war, the Geneva Motor Show was the first event in the automotive sector to reopen its doors, which occurred in 1947. It proved a considerable success, with 305 exhibitors occupying 9,608 m2. Since then, the Geneva International Motor Show has grown steadily. In 1948, it crossed the threshold of 200,000 visitors, followed by 300,000 in 1960 and 500,000 in 1967.
Given the significant development of the transport sector, an exhibition of utility vehicles accompanied the Motor Show starting in 1970, but only in even years. This took place a few weeks before the main event and helped solve the problems of space faced by the Motor Show, at least temporarily. In 1972, however, the possibility of building a new Exhibition Centre outside the city centre began to be examined.
1981-1989
Geneva’s new Exhibition and Congress Centre (Palexpo), located close to the airport and the current train station, opened its doors on 18 December 1981.
In January 1982, Palexpo hosted its first event, the International Utility Vehicle Show, followed in March by the Geneva International Motor Show. The appeal of the new centre, one of the most modern in Europe, produced a new record audience in 1982, with 745,919 admissions across the two events.
In 1985, the organising committee of the Geneva International Motor Show was forced to find a solution to accommodate the development of the Heavy Goods Vehicle Show, for which it lacked space. In 1987, this led to Transpublic, the International Public Transport and Municipal Services Show. This specialist exhibition was designed to showcase all passenger transport and municipal vehicles, while also featuring rail and cable transport, as well as airport infrastructure. Two Transpublic events were held in Geneva, in 1987 and 1989.
1990-2011
Over the years, Palexpo has grown. In 1988, the event was attracting 600,000 visitors a year and by 2000 visitor rates had expanded to 700,000. A peak of 747,700 admissions was reached at the 75th event in 2005, marking the 100th anniversary of GIMS. In late 2008, the global financial crisis affected multiple sectors, including the automotive industry. Despite the challenging times, all manufacturers continued to exhibit at Geneva’s major automotive event. Nevertheless, attendance at the show fell below the 700,000 visitors mark in 2009 and 2010, before bouncing back to 735,000 in 2011, which represented the second-best result of all time.