Volvo, Rolls-Royce, Ford and more to skip Paris Motor Show
Well, that sucks.
Auto shows are expensive affairs. Some manufacturers spend millions on their stands, which can quickly drain even large budgets. Thus, not everybody shows up to every auto show, which is why we'll be missing a few dear friends at the Paris Motor Show this month.
Ford, Rolls-Royce, Volvo and Aston Martin will all be skipping the show this year. The main reason, as you may guess, is money. Aston CEO Andy Palmer told Bloomberg as much. Volkswagen will be cutting back its ridiculous Group Night event, and Lamborghini won't be making an appearance whatsoever.
Of course, there are other reasons, too. BMW's executives won't be at the show because they'll be discussing electric-car strategy. Volvo's skipping because it wants to market directly to customers.
Taking direct approaches to consumer marketing is yet another reason. Ford will offer French consumers drives across the country. Rolls-Royce, being rather posh, threw some cocktail parties in Sardinia. Mitsubishi will still be at the show, but it's offering a virtual nighttime test-drive of its vehicles, as well.
It shouldn't come as a surprise, even if Paris has one of the biggest crowds of the auto show season. Some automakers skipped Detroit, while others have glossed over LA, Chicago, Frankfurt and others. Sometimes, the money is better spent elsewhere, because everyone at the show isn't necessarily in the market for a new car.