It’s a story that’s been repeating itself in the past few weeks: manufacturer X decides it won’t be at auto show Y, for reason Z. This week a major automotive company announced it will take a pass on one of the world’ most prominent car shows, the Paris Motor Show, taking place in October 2018.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) stated this week that virtually all of its banners will be absent from the event. The only exception is Maserati.
Visitors to the Paris show will not get the chance to see the latest new Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Jeep vehicles, normally on the schedule for the salon. The Chrysler, Dodge, RAM and Lancia brands were never scheduled to be displayed there.
FCA’s decision aligns with those already made by Volkswagen, Ford, Opel, Mazda, Porsche, Volvo and Lamborghini, all of whom chose to skip Paris this year.
In general, the manufacturers have invoked the high costs associated with participating in an auto show, the difficulty in generating interest on-site, and the fact they have no major new products to present.
If this trend continues, it’s clear that major auto shows, such as we’ve come to know them, are likely to disappear. Automotive manufacturers have understood that to gain maximum visibility when launching a new product, it’s to their benefit to have the spotlight to themselves. With the Internet at their disposal, they can tailor a launch to fit the model and broadcast it around the world. Maximum exposure, for a fraction of the cost.
It seems so logical that it was probably an inevitable occurrence.
Like Volkswagen recently did, Fiat explained that its decision is not irreversible, and that in the future the company would decide whether to take part in auto shows on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the company’s needs and priorities.
Planning to be in Paris in October and thinking of dropping in at the car show? It’s not too late to adjust your plans!