The German Auto Show moves from Frankfurt to Munich. The decision was made by VDA (German Association of the Automotive Industry), at the end of a selection process that also involved Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Hanover and Stuttgart.

Audi AI:TRAIL quattro EV concept at Frankfurt Auto Show 2019

Munich, home to important automotive companies (starting with BMW) and a growing ecosystem of startups active in the field of mobility, convinced the association’s board of directors to make this move.





In essence, the Bavarian capital has leveraged the possibility of using the city center and some areas nearby to organize shows and events connected to the actual trade fair event. Munich prevailed over Berlin and Hamburg, thanks to the excellent transport infrastructures and a renowned expertise in organizing large events.

The decision to move the IAA (International Automobile Exhibition) headquarters after almost 70 years of organization in Frankfurt was taken in January, but there were rumors in past few months about a possible move or revision of the event format. The speculations were strengthened not only by the expiry of the contract between the VDA and the Frankfurt Fair at the end of 2019, but also by the outcome of the last exhibition, which took place in a much lesser tone than in the past.

Chinese WEY VV7 SUV at Frankfurt Auto Show 2019

The show last September, also affected by protests from various environmental groups, did not see the participation of important companies in the sector, including the FCA and PSA groups, Ferrari, the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi, Aston Martin, Mazda, Rolls-Royce, Toyota and Volvo alliance.

The defections affected the turnout of the public: visitors fell by 30 percent to about 560,000. Now it’s up to Monaco to try, starting from the month of September 2021, to relaunch the show by transforming a purely automotive fair into a city event dedicated to mobility.