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| Some of the displays at Frankfurt 2017. |
They're losing support from the automotive industry at an alarming rate.
There will be no Volkswagen Group brand stands at the Paris show upcoming in September. Nor will there be a presence from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (Jeep, Fiat and Alfa Romeo), BMW, Ford, Infiniti, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Subaru or Volvo.
At the next Frankfurt show, September 2019, BMW will only use a third of its usual space, which has been a full hall devoted to BMW and Mini models and concepts, as well as a track on which cars were driven around.
Suffering declining support since the recession, the keynote Detroit International Auto Show will be moving from January to June in 2020, to try and survive against the shift by manufacturers to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The organisers are hoping to combine it with the Detroit Grand Prix and other summer events to incorporate it into a summer festival.
Speaking at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last week, Volkswagen Group’s Chairman Dr Herbert Diess said the traditional shows are 'not as relevant anymore', either to carmakers or customers.
In Europe, the annual Geneva show in March is holding its own, but major manufacturers have opted out in recent years.
