GENEVA, Paris, Frankfurt, London, Turin, Detroit and Tokyo all have something in common. They are, or have been, world-famous, occasionally notorious, but increasingly outdated traditional venues for motor shows. Trouble is, as the once-great car exhibition capitals of the world, they’re now either dead or dying.
The reasons for their demise are many. Most shows were staged in chilly autumn or freezing winter months when the organisers grabbed expo halls for the lowest prices, causing showgoers like me to freeze our bollards off while queuing to get in. They stuck for too long to the tired old formula of static cars doing nothing and going nowhere, in spite of warring manufacturers suffering from “mine is bigger than yours” syndrome and blowing untold millions on their monumental, blingy, gin palace-like stands.…
