Frankfurt Motor Show

I’ve often found myself daydreaming, “I wonder if someone will ever say, ‘We’ll cover your airfare and hotel if you go report on the Frankfurt Motor Show and write a blog article?’”

I don’t know who would say that, or if such a request would even be made to an amateur like me… so it’s purely a fantasy. But even as a fantasy, since I’m running this blog, I hope that someday I might be recognized enough to receive such an offer.

That said, what exactly is the Frankfurt Motor Show like? (Don’t ask me, right? lol)

All I had was a vague image of it being a place where car manufacturers from around the world unveil new models, set in a large, brightly lit space, so I decided to look into it this time.

What is a Motor Show?

By the way, in Japan, it’s called a “Motor Show,” but overseas it’s often called an “Auto Show,” and both mean the same thing. So, what exactly is a motor show?

A motor show is an exhibition held at trade fair venues showcasing automobiles and related products. Because it receives extensive coverage in newspapers, magazines, and on TV, and attracts many visitors, it is often the venue for unveiling new cars and concept cars.
*Source: Wikipedia “Motor Show”

In the past, the Tokyo Motor Show, Frankfurt Motor Show, and North American International Auto Show—held in Japan, Germany, and the U.S., the world’s top three car-producing countries—were considered the world’s top three motor shows. However, today, the Geneva Motor Show and Paris Motor Show have joined them, making the “Big Five” motor shows worldwide.

Incidentally, after the Tokyo Motor Show, smaller motor shows are held in “Nagoya, Sendai, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Sapporo”. I once attended the Osaka Motor Show, but compared to the Tokyo Motor Show I had seen on the news, it was much smaller and I remember feeling a bit disappointed.

What is the Purpose of Exhibiting at a Motor Show?

So, what is the purpose of exhibiting or holding a motor show?

Because a large number of visitors are expected, motor shows serve not only as venues for manufacturers to unveil many new models but also as events that can be enjoyed by both car enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike. To avoid boredom from just displaying cars, many futuristic experimental vehicles such as design concept models that will not be commercialized are also exhibited. The show plays a big role in sparking visitors’ interest. Furthermore, the purpose is to promote the development and wider adoption of automobiles.
*Source: Wikipedia “Motor Show”

I see… so it’s not just a venue for new car announcements but also has the feel of an event or festival.

The Reality of the Tokyo Motor Show in Japan

So, how big is the Tokyo Motor Show held in Japan? I looked into the 2017 event. It was held for 10 days from October 28 to November 5, 2017, with 771,200 visitors. I thought, “That’s an amazing number!” but apparently, the number of visitors has been declining for two consecutive events.

The main reason for the decline seems to be the absence of American, Italian, and British car manufacturers. GM, Ford Motor, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Abarth, Jaguar, Land Rover, MINI, and others did not participate in 2017.

By the way, the exhibitors in 2017 were:

Domestic Brands:
Daihatsu, Lexus, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota,
Imported Brands:
Alpina, Audi, BMW, Citroën, DS, Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, Peugeot, Porsche, Smart, Smart Brabus, Renault, Volkswagen, Volvo.

I think the value of attending lies in seeing cars from all over the world gathered in one place, so it must be tough without American, Italian, and British cars. Also, since the Tokyo Motor Show is held every other year, there was no event this year.