End of the road for Geneva show

Organisers are permanently pulling the pin on the annual Geneva International Motor Show because of dwindling interest from carmakers and visitors.

The event was first held in 1905 and attracted more than 120 exhibitors at its peak but the show’s organising committee says it has made the “extremely regrettable” decision to discontinue it.

After an absence of four years because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the show returned this year but only attracted 168,000 visitors – well short of expectations for 200,000.

Renault and the budget Dacia marque were the only major European carmakers to attend and they displayed models alongside a number of Chinese brands, reports Reuters.

Alexandre de Senarclens, president of the foundation that organised the show, says: "The lack of interest shown by manufacturers in the Geneva Salon in a difficult industry context, the competition from the Paris and Munich shows which are favoured by their domestic industry, and the investment levels required to maintain such a show, sound the final blow for a future edition.”

However, the foundation says it is continuing with plans for a Qatar automotive show in November 2025.