What About the Frankfurt Motor Show?

Even if the Tokyo Motor Show is struggling, I thought the Frankfurt Motor Show might still be going strong, so I checked out a report on the 2017 event. It said:

“I was surprised once again by the unprecedented nature of the Frankfurt Motor Show exhibits.”
Held September 14–24, 2017, at the Frankfurt exhibition center. The number of visitors was about 810,000, a significant drop from about 930,000 in 2015. (omitted) Japanese manufacturers Nissan and Mitsubishi did not exhibit, and among European manufacturers, French Peugeot, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), and Swedish Volvo also withdrew, eliminating the need for a temporary pavilion in the courtyard. (omitted)
Not only Japanese manufacturers but also there were few new model announcements from European manufacturers outside Germany, making the gap between German manufacturers—who displayed many new models and concept cars in large booths—and others painfully obvious. It strongly reinforced the impression that this is a local German motor show.”

Source: Surprised once again by the unprecedented nature of the Frankfurt Motor Show exhibits

The Geneva Motor Show seems to be doing quite well, but the Frankfurt Motor Show appears to have lost much of its former momentum.

With Changing Times

Speaking of which, my husband once said,

“Back in the day, concept cars were actually built and displayed at motor shows, but recently, concept-like cars are being unveiled in PlayStation’s Gran Turismo.”

Indeed, in Gran Turismo on PlayStation, manufacturers like Audi, Honda, McLaren, Subaru, and Lexus have introduced various concept-like cars that you can actually drive in the game. The environment surrounding new car and concept car announcements is changing drastically with the times.

Also, recently, car manufacturers create concept movies on YouTube that get quite a lot of views. It might be more cost-effective to use the power of the internet than to spend huge sums exhibiting at motor shows.

But the thrill of seeing a car with your own eyes and the atmosphere at the venue are still important, so it’s probably best if the real and online worlds complement each other well.

That said, going to report on the Frankfurt Motor Show sounds like a pretty wild dream lol. It’s more realistic to go at my own expense and write a blog post (haha).

By the way, the Frankfurt Motor Show is held in odd-numbered years, so it’s scheduled for next year. I’d love to visit Germany again.