True, Geneva has an...
True, Geneva has an adequate, although soulless, concrete exhibition centre in a field which sits miles from the city centre. But Switzerland has a reputation for being environmentally-holier-than-thou and, with that in mind, prides itself on not being a ghastly, polluting, car-producing nation. That in turn means it contributes nothing to global motor manufacturing. So why do the world"s vehicle makers reward this all-take-no-give country with an important show of its own? It makes about as much sense as staging a gardening expo in a land that doesn"t have any grass.
How can anybody justify staging a major car festival in a country where they aren"t built, public transport rules, motors are despised and drivers treated with contempt whether they"re forced to pay for annual motorway passes - even when visiting for only a few hours - or stuck in jams deliberately created by daft bus priority schemes?
Then there are Geneva"s horribly expensive and worn-out taxis. And hoteliers effectively hold a gun to the heads of weary show visitors needing a bed for a night or two by telling them that they"re welcome - but only if they pay to take over rooms for the week. Extortion is the word that springs to mind. Add in generally high prices, out-of-control graffiti, naff stores and armies of jack-booted "security guards" on streets, and you have what is the modern Geneva.
Like Turin, it has had its day - Europe needs a new, fresh, vibrant motor show venue. Unlike Switzerland, it must be within the European Union, a mass vehicle producer, a significant contributor to the car world and capable of hosting an exhibition offering visitors balmy days and nights - which Geneva can"t do in February or March.
Enter the British International Motor Show in London, in July. The halls sit alongside the Thames, there are links to motorways and A-roads, and the ExCeL venue is minutes away from hotels, restaurants, cafés, pubs and coffee shops to suit all pockets.
Admittedly, the London congestion charge is a form of theft, but it doesn"t yet extend to the Docklands area of the capital. The crumbling Earls Court and barn-like Birmingham NEC are toast. The ExCeL centre must pick up the pieces and re-establish Britain as a major league international motor show venue. Five hundred miles away, twitchy Geneva organisers are getting worried. And with good reason.