Every year, for two weeks, Geneva transforms itself into the world capital of the automobile. Learn about the history of this event in the next lines.
Since 1905, Geneva has been the city chosen to host a kind of four-wheel Champions League: the Geneva Motor Show. The most exclusive cars, the main news, the brands that matter and the people who run the business are all there. It is like that every year, and it will continue to be like that as long as world peace allows it – I remember that the event was only interrupted during the two world wars.
The title of "best salon in the world" is not an explicit title, but an implicit one. The best and most awaited world premieres always take place in Switzerland and by decision of an organization that is a kind of FIFA for car manufacturers, the OICA: Organization Internationale des Constructors d’Automobiles. Frankfurt, Paris, Detroit, Tokyo, New York, none of these cities can put on a «show» like the one we can find these days in Geneva.
And why Geneva? And not Lisbon or… Beja! To understand this choice we have to go to history books (or the internet…). Although the people of Bejão are very peaceful and welcoming people and Lisbon is a very beautiful and hospitable city, none of them is neutral ground. And Switzerland is.
Switzerland has been a neutral country since 1815. According to Wikipedia, a neutral country is one that does not take sides in a conflict and “in return hopes not to be attacked by any”. Hence, the biggest skirmishes in the world are resolved in Switzerland, a country that hosts the UN and dozens of world organizations.
In fact, when it comes to cars, Switzerland could not be more neutral. Large builders are generally German, Italian, American, French, English or Japanese. Therefore, the measurement of forces between these motor powers could not be in their countries of origin, to avoid favoritism. It was agreed that the best place for the “battle of lights and glamour” on the four wheels had to be in Switzerland. And that's how it has been for exactly 85 editions.
If you have time, I remind you that the Geneva Motor Show will be open to the public until the 15th of this month. Our Diogo Teixeira was there, and over the next few days he will show us everything that happened there.
