Why motor racing, why motor show?
08/06/2020
At the Geneva Motor Show in 1979, the question was posed: "Pourquoi le sport automobile?" The answers were provided in the 12 cylinders of an oversized Ferrari engine. The Chevron Toyota F3 of former Swiss champion Patrick Studer stood on the 180-degree engine as an eye-catcher.
Today, international racing is almost fighting for survival and the Swiss championship of yesteryear has been history for years.
Whether the question "Porquoi le salon d`automobile?" can still be asked in Geneva in 2022 is still completely up in the air. At the moment, it is still unclear whether it can and will take place. The coronavirus pandemic is not the only culprit, it is perhaps the main trigger, but financial problems were already plaguing some companies beforehand.
Back in 2019, some manufacturers skipped the event and the trend was and will continue to rise. "Online" is now the big showcase for marketing and sales. As the engine from Maranello clearly shows, digitalization has turned a full 180 degrees over the years.
The general future of the automobile as a driving force no longer looks very rosy and gives us pause for thought.
