Full Paris Motor Show in doubt

Organisers of the Paris Motor Show have announced a limited event. Photo: Supplied

After the cancellation of the Geneva and Detroit motor shows this year, it was only a matter of time before focus turned to the biennial Paris Motor Show.

For now organisers have said the Paris Motor Show (Mondial de l’Auto) will not go ahead in its current form this year because of the effects of the coronavirus crisis.

It was scheduled to run from September 26 to October 11, with media days on September 29-30.

Paris Motor Show organisers have stopped short of completely cancelling or postponing the show, but they suggested that the traditional automaker displays at the city's exposition centre would not be held this year, says Automotive News.

Only events such as Movin’On, billed as a business-to-business event “on innovation and sustainable mobility” are not yet in jeopardy, the organisers said in a press release.

The coronavirus outbreak has had major impact to the motor industry, including the Paris Motor Show. Photo: Supplied

“We are studying alternative solutions in consultation with our main partners,” organisers said, citing the gravity of the coronavirus outbreak and the "economic shock wave" to the automotive industry. Assembly plants and auto dealers are closed across Europe and North America.

Even before the coronavirus disruption, traditional auto shows were losing their attractiveness as automakers increasingly skipped the events, citing cost and a lack of marketing impact. Auto companies are focusing their product marketing on live streamed launches, says Automotive News.

The Detroit motor show was cancelled as the TCF Centre, where the event was set to take place, will be converted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency into a field hospital as COVID-19 cases in Michigan continue to rise.