The long-standing Geneva International Motor Show has been cancelled indefinitely, with its 117-year run now at an end.
With motor show still reeling in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic – which saw cancellations in 2020, 2021 and 2022 – Geneva organisers made the decision to axe the annual event, with no return date in sight.
Organisers said its closure stems from “uncertainties in the automotive industry” and “the eroded attractiveness of the major European shows”, despite recent motor shows in Paris and Munich proving to be successful.
“This extremely regrettable decision should not detract from the efforts and determination with which we have tried to regain our success,” said Alexandre de Senarclens, President of the Comité permanent du Salon international de l’automobile Foundation.
“However, it has to be said that 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 favored by their domestic industry, and the investment levels required to maintain such a show, sound the final blow for a future edition.”
Commencing in 1905, the Geneva Motor Show has been a cult favourite in the automotive world, with major European brands like Mercedes, BMW, Volkswagen and Renault presenting important models during the annual showcase.
Across its 117-year history, numerous iconic models have first been revealed 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 COVID-related cancellations in 2020, 2021, 2022, though its first spin-off in Qatar was held last year.
Despite it’s long-awaited return, big names like Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz and the Volkswagen Group pulled out of the show, leading to dwindling crowd numbers.
Though 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 take place in Doha in November 2025.
