Big revelations
11/19/2011
In the past, new models were presented at the major motor shows and exhibitions in Paris, Frankfurt, New York, London, Turin or Geneva. Nowhere else could you expect such undivided attention and such a compact specialist audience. The Internet had not yet been invented and television was a niche product with a few handfuls of viewers. However, hundreds of thousands made the pilgrimage to the major vehicle exhibitions.
For example, the Citroën DS was presented to an astonished public for the first time in Paris in 1955, the new Jaguar E made its first public appearance 50 years ago in Geneva, the Fiat 8V also made its debut in Geneva, the Mercedes 190 SL was announced in New York, and so on.
In order not to let the air out too early, the showpieces at the motor shows were therefore hidden under thick cloths, some of which even had a question mark sewn onto them. In the picture above - an artfully hand-mounted panoramic shot - taken at the 1956 Geneva Motor Show, you can see that Renault and Ford still have their cars covered, while the Citroën DS in the background, which we had already seen in Paris the previous year, is already standing in the middle of the Citroën stand without a cover.
