Paris Motor Show 2016

The European Motor Shows used to be a really big deal. The UK,Paris,Frankfurt and Geneva shows were the stars. That's where the new model announcements were made,the concept cars revealed and where the industry heavyweights strutted their stuff on press day in their Armani suits.
The Paris and Frankfurt Shows used to be huge. I went to them many times in the 1980s and 90s for new model launches or with dealer and press groups.Those were the days of junkets and lavish launches and a tight knit local press group the majority of whom could write well,drive well and knew what they were talking about.
In comparison to the big European shows the local Australian motor shows were very small beer and the fact that there were annual shows in all the state capital cities for years was ridiculous and a significant cost to the local industry. The local manufacturers-Ford,Holden(GM),Toyota and Mitsubishi were very keen on all the local shows -the importers wanted them reduced. Now it has all changed and the local shows have gone and soon the local manufacturers will all be gone too.

With the internet and immediate circulation of news/photos and manufacturers timing their new model annnouncements to suit themselves and not the show timings the international shows have lost much of their relevance nonetheless they are still big events and people are going to them although not in the numbers they used to. Certainly the media are much less interested in them.

The Rolling Road's European correspondent,David Young,visited the recent Paris show and sent back a folder of photos from which I have picked just a few for their entertainment value.
Surely the gross Mercedes Vision Maybach is a shoo-in for the ugliest car of the year award?
 David included a few photos of batteries and electric motors because they there were lots of them at the Paris show. I don't find them at all fascinating so I have only included one and seeing them makes me glad that I went to motor shows when all cars were powered by internal combustion engines.

Stylish Renault stand although it looks as if to reduce costs they kept the lighting down-bring your own torch if you want to see les voitures.

Russian oligarchs please form an orderly queue.

It's gross. Who signed this off?

Gross from all angles. It's so vulgar even Donald Trump would probably hesitate before placing an order.

This is an electric car battery in fact un nouvelle batterie. Fascinating eh?

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