Why Geneva is still one of the best motor shows on earth

When it comes to international motor shows, few events can match the history and glamour of Geneva. The show itself dates back to 1905 and has evolved into one of the world’s best motor shows, which is a tad ironic when you consider that Switzerland has no car industry of its own.

In fact, it could be argued that the neutral ground of Geneva makes it the perfect location and over the years the city has provided a launch platform for everything from the Ford Model T to the Golf GTI. What’s more, some of the tales from the show have passed into motoring folklore. My favourite Geneva story surrounds the 1961 launch of the Jaguar E-type.

Back in the 1960s the Jaguar PR department was not the well-oiled publicity machine it is today and on the eve of the show William Lyons decided that one display car wasn’t enough. In a panic, Jaguar sent an urgent message to Browns Lane for another E-type to be sent before the press launch, which was scheduled at 10am the following day. The delivery job was given to Jaguar’s test driver, Norman Dewis, who drove through the night – averaging 68mph along the way – and arriving at Geneva’s Parc des Eaux Vives with 20 minutes to spare.

However, as the organisers of the late British Motor Show will tell you, a glittering history counts for little in today’s cut throat world of car building and over the years the Geneva Motor Show has evolved to stay ahead of its international competition. 

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In the 1970s the show moved from its home, at Ancien Palais des Expositions in the city centre, and is now housed at the Geneva Palexpo, which is located next door to the city’s international airport. The decision to move the show to within a stone’s throw of an international runway was a prudent one. Indeed, last year, I did a day trip to the show and timed my walk from the plane to the show hall at just 20 minutes. I wasn’t the only British day tripper either and I was accompanied by a large number of UK enthusiasts who had made the ‘day jaunt’ to Geneva.

With the British Motor Show dead and buried, Geneva has become a popular destination for the Britain’s motoring fraternity, with many visitors using the event as a start/finish point for skiing holidays and road trips. Geneva isn’t just about new car launches either, it also displays dozens of historic vehicles and prototypes as car clubs, museums design boffins use the show to show off their collections.

However, for me, Geneva remains special because it’s an all-encompassing car celebration that spans everything from the cheapest Dacia to the most expensive Bugatti. It’s not usual to see Piero Ferrari or William Clay Ford Jr wandering the halls, or to bump into the likes of Charles Morgan in the canteen. The show really is a petrol head heaven.

But don’t take my word for it, why not book a cheap flight and experience it for yourself?