Monaco showcased good, the bad and the unexpected
It’s relatively easy to argue that auto shows are on the verge of becoming irrelevant. Every year, big names in the industry skip key events because they’re expensive, time- consuming, and no longer an effective way to engage with real- world customers. Jaguar, Land Rover, MINI, Porsche, and Tesla have all sat out the Detroit show in recent memory.
With that in mind, I was equal parts skeptical and intrigued when Monaco announced plans to join the auto show circuit for the first time. Can a nation roughly the size of downtown Toronto capture the magic of going to a car show?
The organizers set out to do things differently from the get-go. First, the entire event was held outdoors. Monaco wants to retain its temperate climate in the foreseeable future, so the show unabashedly put electric mobility front and centre — at least on paper. That’s why no part of the show alluded to emblematic, gearhead-approved events organized by the Automobile Club of Monaco, such as the Monaco Grand Prix and the Monte Carlo Rally.
The main part of the show was on Monaco’s waterfront. Porsche set up its stand right next to the casino. I’ll let you decide whether that’s a coincidence. And Tesla secured the prime real estate in front of the Prince of Monaco’s palace. Small, crowded electric buses regularly ferried passengers between locations.
The eco- friendly theme attracted companies such as Porsche, Mercedes- Benz, Nissan, and Tesla, who were eager to flaunt their green credentials, while Monaco’s legendary culture of spending drew the usual suspects in the world of high- horsepower, high-profile, and highdollar supercars.
There were some surprises thrown into the mix, how- ever. Notably, a small company from central France showcased an electric Citroën Mehari, and an equally small firm based near Switzerland rekindled a rivalry that fizzled out decades ago by displaying an electric Mini Moke. DR Automobiles — an obscure Italian brand seemingly specializing in importing and rebadging meretricious Chery cars from China — trekked out to Monaco with most of its lineup in tow.
Closer to the show’s main entrance, a French hot- rod builder named Danton Arts Kustoms brought out a few of its creations, including a purple Porsche 911-based coupe powered by a front-mounted V8 engine sourced from the Ford parts bin.
In spite of what its location suggests, the first Monaco Auto Show wasn’t a glitzy event reserved for the rich elite. Instead, it gave small companies a golden opportunity to present products that would be completely overlooked at bigger events, like the shows held annually in Geneva and Los Angeles. It felt a little country fair-ish at times, but the organizers are onto something.