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The long-running Geneva International Motor Show has been canceled indefinitely, with its 117-year run now at an end.
With the motor show still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic – which led to cancellations in 2020, 2021 and 2022 – organizers in Geneva have taken the decision to halt the annual event with no return date in sight.
Organizers said its closure stemmed from “uncertainty in the automotive industry” and the “undermining appeal of major European shows”, although recent motor shows in Paris and Munich have proved successful.
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“This extremely regrettable decision should not diminish the efforts and determination with which we tried to regain our success,” said Alexandre de Senarclens, president of the Comité permanent du Salon international de l’automobile foundation.
“However, it must be said that the lack of interest shown by manufacturers in the Geneva Salon in a difficult industrial context, competition from the Paris and Munich shows which are preferred by their local industry and the levels of investment required to sustain such shows , sound the final beat for a future release.”
Started in 1905, the Geneva Motor Show is a cult favorite in the automotive world, with major European brands such as Mercedes, BMW, Volkswagen and Renault unveiling important models during the annual showcase.
In its 117-year history, numerous iconic models have been unveiled for the first time in Geneva, from the Lamborghini LP500 in 1971 to the Jaguar E-type in 1961.
The Geneva Motor Show returned to its traditional home in February 2024 after the 2020, 2021, 2022 COVID-related cancellations, although its first spin-off in Qatar took place last year.
Despite the much-anticipated return, big names such as Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz and the Volkswagen Group pulled out of the show, leading to a drop in audience numbers.
Although this is effectively the end of the Geneva Motor Show as we know it in Switzerland, the confusingly titled Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS) Qatar will be held in Doha in November 2025.
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