FROM THE ROARING TWENTIES TO THE GREAT DEPRESSION
Like the airplane, the automobile proved that it was more than a just a leisure activity for "sportsmen" and the cream of Paris society. Even before WWI, it had wielded considerable economic influence. Thus in 1906, sales made at the Show reached 129 million gold francs, against 5 million in 1898. The Grand Palais proved to be too small and, as from 1906, trucks had to be exhibited outside. A series of sites were selected, from the Esplanade des Invalides to the greenhouses of the Cours-la-Reine… not to mention the Porte de Versailles in 1927!
On a regular basis, and even before the exhibition was called the Paris Motor Show, car manufacturers asked for the show to be held every other year! They only got what they wanted 70 years later, in 1976. In 1919, the Show went back to the 1913 dates, that is, October, just before the London Motor Show.
In 1919, the first post-Armistice Show saw the creation of the first test-drive centres in the immediate vicinity of the Grand Palais. As a publicity stunt, Citroën provided 50 cars! The major US firms made the trip, and mass-produced vehicles debuted. Despite the success of the 1919 edition (664 exhibitors), there was no Show in 1920.
By 1921, the Roaring Twenties were in full swing and with it the Grand Palais’ heyday. The luxury and imagination of the exhibitors rivalled that of the organisers. The Show was the setting for music festivals, there were "gala days", and even back then there were line-ups for this event... The splendour was such that a reporter for Le Figaro wrote that the eyes of the whole world were on the Grand Palais where every year, at the same time, both French flair and the great vitality of one of our most glorious industries was showcased. In 1924, with the announcement of the Salon des Arts Décoratifs, the organisers hesitated between cancelling the 1925 Show or holding it somewhere else (relocation to Lyon was even considered). In the end, the 1925 edition was cancelled.
During these years, many conventions, banquets and car manufacturer meetings were held during the Parisian event. In 1927, access to the booths became unrestricted and, for the first time, the admission fee was the same throughout the entire Show. The number of exhibitors reflected the health of the automobile industry. In the 1930s, the effects of the Depression, which had until then not touched France, were felt. The number of exhibitors dropped significantly (526 exhibitors in 1938 as opposed to 1,339 in 1929), and the pressure from foreign manufacturers increased. For obvious reasons, there was no Show between 1939 and 1945. Better days were eagerly awaited.
SPRING IN OCTOBER
The first edition was set for October 1946. It was an unusual show, since the exhibitors attended with vehicles that they could not sell! Buyers had to have a purchase order issued by the government, manufacturers had to hunt down raw materials… To keep costs down, the orchestras were replaced by recorded music that played throughout the exhibition space of the Grand Palais. Even so, the essentials were there: Paris 1946 was the first post-war show in Europe! The French, deprived of automobiles, stampeded to the Grand Palais – nearly 810,000 visitors attended in ten days. Electric cars resurfaced after a long absence (the last electric car was presented in 1923). Restrictions on sales were not lifted until 1949, and even then they were still subject to price controls.
In 1950, the Show was held at both the Porte de Versailles (cycles and utility vehicles) and the Grand Palais. Attendance records were broken one after the other; granted, innovations abounded and consumers could finally aspire to owning a car. Presentations by car manufacturers appeared in the 1950s, a trend that would continue in subsequent years. The used car show relocated to Porte Maillot in 1952, the same year that the first manufacturer guarantees appeared. After a period of growth, the number of car manufacturers dropped once again, the automobile entered the "modern times" of industrial concentration. In 1952, there was the first exhibit devoted to recreational vehicles with caravans on show in the Grand Palais basement. The same year, salesmen had to contend for the first time with female competition in the shape of Denise Colcombet.
In 1953, Grand Palais exhibiting space reached 80,000 m². Late-night opening, which had first been attempted in the 1920s, was reintroduced along with different fees. Traffic jams around the Grand Palais were getting worse and worse. In 1954, the Show topped the 1,000,000 visitor mark. Nineteen-fifty-five marked the apogee of this period with 1,037,000 visitors! Granted, innovations were aplenty that year, in particular the mysterious Citroën DS 19. To meet public demand, a daycare facility was set up for children over two – it was the Baby Boom after all!
In the years that followed, there was a significant drop in the number of visitors, car manufacturers began presenting their models outside of the Show. The Suez Crisis, the war in Algeria and East-West tensions may also have had an impact on public opinion.
MODERN TIMES
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In 1957, the world saw for the first time the arrival of a Japanese car, the Prince Skyline (this brand would later become Nissan). This event confirmed the international scope of the Parisian event.
In 1958, on the eve of the opening of the Show, the president of the Show Committee since 1919, Baron Petiet died. Paul Panhard was his successor.
General De Gaulle imposed a new style of visit, in small groups, with no audience or orchestra. The Paris police, overwhelmed by traffic problems, asked in vain for the Show to be relocated to the CNIT, in La Défense. A solution was found in 1962: the entire show was moved to Porte de Versailles. This facility rekindled the tradition of a special annual themed exhibition: 50 years of Grand-Prix cars from European collections, featuring racing cars to die for. In fact, the first Show retrospective dated back as far as 1901.
The Sixties were marked by gentle growth in the number of visitors, culminating in 1968 with 1,060,000 admissions. This influx was justified by the large number of innovations presented. Jean Panhard took over from Paul Panhard in 1967.
In 1971, attendance was disrupted by the public transport strike. The 70s promised to be difficult for the automobile industry, with all the talk about pollution, safety, the "energy crisis". Ticket sales were affected, the halls were bare, no decorations, it was a time of economy. The car manufacturers that had until then been divided on the issue of a biennial motor show reached a consensus – the Show would be held on alternating years with Frankfort. There would, therefore, not be a Motor Show in 1977. From then on, the Motor and Cycle shows would go their separate ways. This decision was criticised by the media, but did not affect the number of visitors, which once again topped the one-million mark. Only the 1986 edition failed to make the mark in terms of ticket sales, but Paris had just experienced its first wave of terrorist attacks.
By the next edition in 1988, Bernard Vernier-Palliez had become president of the Show Committee, the Show changed names and became the "Mondial de l'Automobile", thus reflecting the international character of the show.
The presidency of Pierre Peugeot in 1998 produced a special retrospective exhibit for the 100th anniversary of the Show. Thierry Peugeot presided over the first edition of the twenty-first century in 2002, and Louis Schweitzer has been overseeing the Show since 2007.
Only five General Commissioners have succeeded each other since the beginnings of the Show: Mr Cezanne, Mr Dotin, Mr Mautin, Mr Charpin and Thierry Hesse since 1991.
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TODAY
The Paris Motor Show continues to showcase and support major developments in the automobile industry, in particular in the fields of safety, new forms of energy and the environment in terms of new manufacturer and consumer behaviour.
Despite the relocation of production and markets to developing countries, its appeal is undiminished and its position as the world's top show remains unquestioned.
In 2008 almost 1.5 million visitors, 13,000 accredited journalists from 100 countries and 80 World Premiers prove that it is no longer just a place where you can buy a car, but a true technological showcase where all the car manufacturers show off their know-how.
The Mondial de l’Automobile, like its predecessors the Exposition Internationale de l’Automobile du Cycle et des Sports and the Salon de l’Auto, is still unmistakably THE event for every automobile industry professional worldwide.
Laurent Hériou,
Special Exhibits,
CCFA/AAA archives