Introducing the technology innovations transforming the future of the sector and the novelties of the brands
The centenary edition of Automobile Barcelona, a world benchmark for connected vehicle technologies
Automobile Barcelona, the International Motor Show organised by Fira de Barcelona will celebrate its centenary edition from 11 to 19 May 2019. The event – the first show in Spain to celebrate 100 years – will be held at the emblematic Montjuïc venue with the support of many associations in the sector, and will offer a special programme oriented to the future of the automobile industry in general, and in Spain and the rest of Europe in particular.
The president of the show, Enrique Lacalle, indicated that “Only a selected few get to celebrate 100 years of history. The Barcelona Motor Show, now called Automobile Barcelona, is one of those selected few, and to celebrate the most important edition we are preparing a programme with activities in line with the importance of the event”. Lacalle said: “The show is definitely oriented to the future of the industry, so we offer the latest novelties of the brands and show how the vehicles and the mobility of the future will be like. We also stress the importance of 100 years of history behind one of the most important automobile shows in the international scene”, added the president of the show.
Lacalle added: “we are the history of a miracle. A show that survived two World Wars, the biggest economic crisis, and it’s still here, alive, strong, current; we have innovated, sought international references and is now turning Barcelona and its new Automobile show into a worldwide reference of the latest technologies on the connected vehicles, and without ever forgetting who we are: a motor show “.
Therefore, in the next edition, the Automobile Barcelona, its new image and commemorative logo, will be structured on three main axes: the first one, dedicated to brand innovations and the technological transformation that is shaping the future of the automotive industry through connectivity, autonomous driving, electrification, the internet of things and new modes of transport; the second axis, where visitors will be able to experience and live these new technologies in Connected Street, and the third one that will take us through 100 years of history and the close relationship of the show with the city of Barcelona and the development of the automotive industry in Spain.
The great international showcase
Automobile Barcelona will be once again the great international showcase where the most important brands will show their latest novelties. The show, the only one in Spain with the international recognition of the OICA (Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d’Automobiles), has the support of the main associations of the sector, such as Anfac and Aniacam.
“The plans we made for such an important edition has this one were very well received by the brands“, indicated Enrique Lacalle, and added that “next month, Barcelona will become the world’s automobile capital where the industry will show its power and the brands will present their latest proposals in technology, models and design“.
A connected future
The next Automobile Barcelona show will focus on the future of mobility and its connection with technology as the force transforming the sector. Concepts such as autonomous driving, connected cars or internet of things are already changing the automotive industry and the relationship between users and vehicles.
In this sense, visitors will have the chance to experience all these innovations live at the Connected Street, where they will see actual autonomous and connected driving solutions and they will be able to experience the latest innovations in technology and sustainability. For the first time in the Montjuïc venue, visitors will be able to ride self-driving vehicles thanks to this initiative in collaboration with Idiada.
100 years of history
To celebrate the 100th anniversary, Automobile Barcelona has prepared an activities programme within the show. Among the activities there will be an audiovisual surrounding display show where visitors can experience the history and future of the automobile, a show that will bring the iconic vehicles exhibited in previous editions of the show back to Barcelona, among many other initiatives.
The first Barcelona Motor Show as such was held in 1919 in the Palacio de las Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts) in Ciutadella Park where vehicles of such famous makers as Hispano Suiza, Talleres Hereter, Elizalde, América and Abadal-Buick, among others, were on display. It was not until 1927, in its sixth edition, that the show moved to Montjuïc, specifically the palaces of Alfonso XIII and Victoria Eugenia. Since then, the event has been held regularly in this emblematic venue with the only interruptions being the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War, which meant that the show was not held again until 1966. This explains why its 40th edition will be celebrated in 2019.
Public and institutional recognition
The importance of the show for the automobile industry in Spain, together with its role as a springboard for innovation in the sector and international showcase for car makers, has led the Spanish Parliament to declare the show an event of exceptional public interest, included in the National Budget for the year 2018. At the request of the Show and Anfac, led by Jose Vicente de los Mozos, this recognition will bring special benefits for the companies that contribute to the promotion and celebration of the event.
You can download the video of the Automobile Barcelona Centenary edition at
http://galeria.firabarcelona.test/es/premsa/automobile-barcelona
Barcelona, 06 September 2018