Key Sentence:
- The two-year German International Motor Show – or International Motor Show – kicks off this week.
Traditionally, Car Show this is an opportunity for the country to demonstrate the sustainable strength of its own automotive industry by welcoming the most prominent brands from around the world.
But this year’s event in Munich, Bavaria, promises to be very different.
And not just because it’s happening at a time when the pandemic is still raging and the auto industry seems to be an increasingly tempting target for politicians looking to prove the quality of their environment.
First of all, this year’s fair isn’t just for cars. The organizer, the German Automotive Industry Association, called for “climate-neutral mobility” instead. The city of Munich itself will develop roads and public spaces so that visitors can try new concepts of sustainable transportation. And bike brands like Specialized, Scott, and Canyon will be in showrooms alongside Porsche and Mercedes.
When the Car Show Covid pandemic hit at the start of last year, major international trade fairs such as the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona and the Geneva Motor Show were canceled in no time.
Such an event, which brings together thousands of people from all over the world, is completely bankrupt during periods of blockades, border closures and quarantine restrictions. Munich is the first attempt to restore a high-end auto show in Europe. In fact, it is the first major international event in Germany since the restrictions on the blockade were relaxed.
But success will not be easy.
Because even before the pandemic, the future of traditional car showcases was in sight. The last IAA took place in 2019. Then the IAA in Frankfurt, an event that took place on a large scale. Each of the three major German manufacturers has a large pavilion all to themselves. Another large hall hosts companies from around the world, all with no-frills all-wheel-drive displays.
Car Show But to be honest, the event was a kind of limbo for everyone who was there. The show is too big. It’s always hot, stuffy, and very noisy – people like me have impressive headaches and blisters.
But on top of that, it gets too expensive. A large booth at one of the international auto shows costs millions – and many of the major manufacturers have decided that they are not worth the money. So the lack of big names is the order of the day in Frankfurt and at the Paris Motor Show.
In 2019, organizers decided it was time for a change after an event that was – embarrassingly – interrupted by climate activists. So they left Frankfurt, which had hosted the show since the 1950s, and headed for a new city. The pandemic has affected the auto industry, which is already facing significant changes.
Governments, particularly in Europe, are setting ambitious deadlines for ending sales of new petrol and diesel cars.
Manufacturers are also facing rising bills due to the pandemic. At first, they were forced to close factories and dealers; then, supply chain disruptions make it difficult to regain lost ground. What’s happening in Munich this week is an attempt to reinvent the auto show itself at a time when much from the industry is wondering if such an event is a luxury they can no longer afford.
“Let’s put it this way,” a CEO recently told me, “if you’ve set aside a few million euros to go to a show, then it’s easy to get the board to sign. But if the budget is diverted elsewhere, it is complicated to get it back.