Frankfurt show sees 13-percent attendance drop

Khodrocar - 810,000 visitors traveled to the massive convention center in Frankfurt to check out the newest cars on the market and the hottest concepts in the industry, according to French website LeBlogAuto. In comparison, 930,000 visitors attended the last edition held in 2015. That's a 12.9-percent drop. Shows in Paris, Los Angeles, Detroit, and New York have experienced a similar drop in recent years.

Nine automakers skipped the Frankfurt show this year, which partially explains the drop. Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Jeep, Peugeot, Citroen, DS, Nissan, Infiniti, Mitsubishi, and Volvo all sat out the event, which we find odd considering many of them spend the rest of the year plotting ways to take down the Germans.

That's not the only explanation, especially since the rest of the show was well worth checking out. Cars like the 1,000-horsepower Mercedes-AMG Project One and the ultra-cute Honda Urban EV Concept mesmerized us as we walked the floor.

Auto shows are expensive to participate in, and automakers are increasingly looking for alternative ways to reach consumers. Some (like Volvo and Audi) prefer holding brand-specific events outside of the auto show season, while others focus on smaller, more affordable events like the Goodwood Festival of Speed. 

An enthusiast based in Belgium, for example, who travels to England for the Festival of Speed might not want to spend more money on a trip to Frankfurt just a few weeks later. The displays in Frankfurt are mostly static, and curious consumers can avoid the crowds by checking out live, detailed pics of every debut on websites like the one you're browsing right now. 

The next edition of the Frankfurt Auto Show will take place from September 12th to the 22nd of 2019. The entire auto show industry is hurting right now, so it will be interesting to see how they manage to reverse the drop in attendance.