Why car dealerships must continue

Last year, the Bugatti La Voiture Noire was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, one of the most expensive cars to date.

Last week, the spread of the coronavirus across Europe led the Swiss government to impose restrictions on mass gatherings, forcing the organizer of the Geneva Motor Show to cancel the event. It was only a few days before the start of the show, when car companies had already spent millions preparing stands and concept cars for the annual extravaganza.

This has led to more talk that the auto show's days are numbered. Geneva is now in danger of joining the likes of London, Sydney and Melbourne as a former car dealership host city.

Several high-profile brands, including Ford, Jaguar Land Rover and Nissan, have already decided to skip Geneva, citing a lack of return on investment for the once-'must have' industry show.

Too much time and effort has already been spent on cars destined for Geneva, and many automakers, including BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Aston Martin, organized "virtual press conferences" to present and discuss what they were going to show in their physical stands.

All this reinforces the arguments of those who want the car dealership to disappear because it is too expensive and does not directly affect how many cars the brand can sell.

“The entire automotive industry is undergoing a transformation, especially with regards to digitalization,” said a spokeswoman for Mercedes-Benz. with the BBC This week. “Of course, this also includes how we present our products in the future.

“We ask ourselves the question: “Which platform is best suited for our various topics?” Whether it's digital or physical, so we won't choose one or the other in the future."

The cancellation of the Geneva Motor Show has sparked more speculation that the auto show's days are numbered.

This argument was one of the reasons car brands were excited about the end of the Australian International Motor Show when it collapsed in 2013, with separate shows in Sydney and Melbourne forced to rotate to ensure enough manufacturers were present from 2009.

At the time, they said that car dealerships were too expensive, people got their information from the Internet, and the modern showroom became so shiny that you didn't need to put on a showroom fanfare.

It's just all bullshit.

As a car-obsessed kid growing up in Harbor City, the Sydney Auto Show was the annual highlight of my youth and helped solidify my love for all things automotive. Now that I'm a father myself and have my own car-obsessed nine-year-old son, I miss the show in Sydney even more.

Car dealerships need to be more than just showcasing cars and stimulating upsells. There must be an element of support and encouragement from the wider automotive community.

Yes, they are very expensive (European shows cost car companies tens of millions), but no one forces them to spend that kind of money. The multi-story buildings with kitchens, conference rooms and living rooms are beautiful and certainly attract potential customers, but they are not critical to the show.

Cars must be stars.

The tactile sensations and emotions that you get when you see your dream cars in real life can leave an impression for a lifetime.

A car dealership booth doesn't have to be that complex to win an architecture prize; it should be functional and filled with the latest metal that the brand has to offer. If the return on investment isn't good enough, it might be time to look at how much you're investing and ask if it's possible to get a similar result for less money?

In addition, there is an argument that today people get a lot of information from the Internet and dealerships are better than ever before. Both are valid points, but also miss the bigger picture.

Yes, the Internet is full of data, images and videos, but there is a big difference between looking at a car on a computer screen and seeing it in real life. Similarly, there is a huge gap between going to one showroom to look at a car and being able to walk around and compare cars in the same hall.

The tactile sensations and emotions you get from seeing your dream cars in real life can leave an impression of a lifetime, and more brands should be aware of it. In an age where competition is cutthroat and buyers have little loyalty, establishing an early bond between a child, teen, or young adult will lead to loyalty and, most likely, eventual sales.

But it's not just about individuals, there's an element of automotive culture that we risk damaging if we lose these iconic events. People like to spend time with like-minded people and share their common interests. Look at the rise of Cars and Coffee style events in recent years, more and more popping up all over the country as car enthusiasts seek to spread love.

It would be a shame if the combination of coronavirus, financial responsibility and apathy hurt the automotive community in the long run. I, for one, hope that the 2021 Geneva Motor Show will be bigger and better than ever before.