Something is happening in the automobile trade fair sector. The MCH Group, headquartered in Basel/Switzerland, is launching a new, global exhibition format: Grand Basel aims to be the first salon for the world's most important and valuable automobiles - historic, contemporary and forward-looking.
The premiere is planned for September 2018 in Basel, followed by trade fairs in Miami and Hong Kong. The aim is to appeal to international connoisseurs, experts and collectors with the highest standards - and anyone interested in automotive aesthetics, technical virtuosity, art and culture.
Impressive preview
At the "Avant premiere", the exhibition organizers, supported by internationally renowned personalities from the automotive industry, presented their ideas.
At Grand Basel, the aim is to bridge the gap between outstanding historical and current vehicles, while also taking a look into the future. Around 100 to 250 exhibits will be carefully selected in advance by an advisory board.
The entire exhibition will be uniformly "dressed" and should meet the highest standards. An auction is also planned. The vehicles will not only be on display standing up, but some will also be on the move. According to one of the speakers, Professor Tumminelli, Grand Basel will be more of a cultural event than an automobile event. The aim is not to compete with the IAA or the Geneva Motor Show, nor with the established classic car shows. Grand Basel does not want to be a trade fair in the conventional sense, but rather a salon or a curated exhibition.
Three impressive examples
Three automobiles/concepts were shown as showpieces to give a foretaste of what to expect in September 2018.
Giorgetto Giugiaro, "Car Designer of the Century", brought his legendary 1963 Chevrolet Corvair Testudo to Basel.
Andrea Zagato announced a tribute to the legendary IsoRivolta brand: The Zagato IsoRivolta Vision Gran Turismo Concept will be available to experience for the first time with the Sony Playstation from October. As a ready-to-drive automobile, it is set to be one of the highlights of Grand Basel 2018.
Designer Rem D. Koolhaas presented a new "Lo Res Car" for his fashion label United Nude, for which he abstracted the polygonal design of a Lamborghini Countach into a minimal wedge shape. This work was also shown for the first time at the Avant premiere at Grand Basel.
The Avions Voisin C25 Aérodyne from 1935 - the favorite brand of the Swiss architect LeCorbusier, whose patron Gabriel Voisin inspired the radical designs for the car-friendly urban redevelopment of Paris - stands for the multifaceted interaction between architecture, automobiles and urban planning.
Exclusive and stylish
Exhibitors will be able to book presentation modules for up to seven exhibits. The service for exhibitors is exceptional: in addition to stand construction, Grand Basel offers complete handling, including transportation and customs formalities, from a single source.
The prices for exhibitors are roughly on a par with international automobile auctions. In addition to the public days, Grand Basel will open exclusively for selected guests on preview days.
Further information can be found on the Grand Basel website.
