XXXVII Barcelona International Motor Show with some doubts

Coinciding with the Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya and the X-Games, the XXXVII Barcelona International Motor Show will open its doors from May 9 to 19 at the Montjuïc venue of Fira de Barcelona.

Among the companies that have confirmed their attendance at the show are Audi, Bentley, BMW, Dacia, Ferrari, Fiat, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Nissan, Renault, Seat, Volkswagen and Volvo. The organizers have announced that they are in negotiations for other brands to join the show, at a time when shows of this scale could become a great incentive for vehicle sales in our country.

Nevertheless, despite the list of brands said to be confirmed, there are others that are seriously considering not attending the show, and others that will definitely not take part. PSA Peugeot-Citroën or Ford are weighing their options and running the numbers, while Toyota, Chevrolet, Suzuki, Citroen, Kia, Mitsubishi and Opel have confirmed they will not be present. Among those still deliberating, the biggest concern is estimating the return they can expect on an investment of close to one million euros for a stand.

There will be no world premieres of models, no major personalities, and no important presentations, which puts it at risk of becoming just another show among the many held across Europe and America. A show that in the past was the birthplace of major presentations, where every brand fought to be there, now sees its importance greatly diminished.

Fortunately, efforts are underway to reverse the situation and turn it back into an event of importance in the automotive world. Changes to its format are being planned: concerts, the presentation of the Car of the Year award… In short, let us hope the show returns to where it belongs.