On February 26, the Geneva Motor Show will return to its birthplace of Geneva, Switzerland after a four-year absence, but this year it is facing a record low number of exhibitors at the century-old auto show, and almost all German BBA and American brands are absent. This begs the question, what really happened at the Geneva Motor Show?
Located in southwestern Switzerland, Geneva is not a major car producer, but it has attracted a lot of attention because it is located between Germany, France and Italy. With the three major automotive powers in turn, Geneva's location clearly benefits it. Coupled with the developed financial industry, the emerging automobile at that time had a wide market. From the club show in 1905 to the official motor show in 1924, Geneva exhibited epoch-making models such as the Chrysler Airflow, Citroen Traction **ant, Mercedes-Benz 540K, etc.
With the end of World War II and the recovery of the European economy, economy cars like the Fiat 600 also made their debut at the Geneva Motor Show. At the same time, concept cars such as the Scimitar and star models such as the Audi Quattro, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and Ferrari F50 were also unveiled. The Geneva Motor Show is known as the "vane of international automotive trends".
In the new millennium, with the introduction of radical fuel vehicle restrictions in European countries, new energy models, especially pure electric models, have become the focus of the Geneva Motor Show. The Tesla Model X debuted at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show and quickly became one of the best-selling electric vehicles in the world. However, the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic led to the suspension of three editions of the Geneva Motor Show, which was not held in Doha, Qatar until 2023.
In fact, from boom to bust, the Geneva Motor Show is more influenced by the international economic environment. With the improvement of the economy and the expansion of the market, the surrounding automobile powers are willing to continue to "transfuse"; The market downturn, the impact of the epidemic and the successive ticket jumps have disappointed car companies, and then choose to withdraw to their home countries. In addition, as cars become more intelligent, many brands are more inclined to release new technologies and concept models at electronics shows such as CES, thus challenging the position of the Geneva Motor Show.
However, even so, the Geneva Motor Show celebrates its centenary. Although it has lost the support of German and American brands, the participation of Chinese brands such as Zhiji, BYD and MG has also maintained a certain influence for it. These Chinese automakers are also hoping to gain more attention in the European market through the Geneva Motor Show to expand their influence.
So, does this once-glorious auto show still have a chance to regain its glory? Let's look forward to the future together!