78th International Motor Show, Geneva: a real firework display

GENEVA - The 78th International Motor Show will be held from the 6th to 16th of March. Over 130 worldwide and European premieres have been announced, coming from every sector of the industry. The trend towards new technologies and alternative fuels is continuing. Visitors will discover three new manufacturers and many attractions both inside and outside the halls of GENEVA PALEXPO.

Close to 1,000 brands from some thirty countries will be presented by around 260 exhibitors. It has been possible to increase the net exhibition surface thanks to the new Hall 71, bringing the total to over 77,550 m2. All accessories will be displayed in Hall 7, while tyre manufacturers have been given new locations in the vehicle halls and are now required to include a vehicle in their displays, so as to make their stands even more eye-catching!

After two press days, the Geneva Motor Show will be opened on Thursday, the 6th of March, in the presence of the President of the Swiss Confederation, Pascal Couchepin. The organisers are expecting once again more than 700,000 visitors over the eleven days the Show is open to the public.

As was already heralded in the poster for the 78th Show, the trend towards new technologies and alternative fuels is increasing. Almost every brand is intensifying its research and development work in this field. 17 of the 94 worldwide and European premieres in the three-and four-wheeled vehicle sector are cars using new technologies. Hall 3 will house a special exhibition dedicated to this subject. The focus of interest this year will be on electrically-powered vehicles.

Three manufacturers will be present for the first time in Geneva, two of them with “green” cars. These are the Chinese brand BYD, which will be unveiling a hybrid vehicle, and the Norwegian manufacturer Think Global, which is launching an electrically-powered city car. The Japanese luxury brand Infiniti will also be exhibiting in Geneva for the first time.

But the Motor Show is not merely a showcase for future mobility. Three companies will be celebrating anniversaries. Italdesign, the renowned design and engineering house responsible for the first Volkswagen Golf, the Alfa Romeo Brera and the Fiat Grande Punto, among others, has fuelled the public’s dreams for 40 years with its elegant and dynamic coachwork. Franco Sbarro, engineer and designer, will be celebrating 35 years of exhibiting in Geneva with two cars designed specifically for the occasion that promises to be entertaining if nothing else. And finally, the Swiss brand Monteverdi will be casting a glance back into the past, with a 1968 Monteverdi 375 S as part of its display.

Visitors will be able to enjoy the entertainment arranged by Nissan in the park in front of the main entrance. The esplanade outside Hall 6 will be welcoming exhibitors with spectacular displays for the first time, while fans of motor-racing video games will find their heart’s desire in the new Hall 71, as will those looking for a souvenir of their visit to the Motor Show.