Lamborghini is done with motor shows – report

Italian supercar maker Lamborghini says it will no longer participate in large international motor shows, according to a new report.

Speaking to AutoCar UK, Lamborghini’s chief marketing and communications officer Katia Bassi said the brand would instead focus on bespoke events that appeal directly to customers.

“We decided to abandon the motor shows because we increasingly believe that to have an intimate relationship with the customer is key, and motor shows are no longer aligned with our philosophy,” Bassi told Autocar UK.

“Motor shows in their traditional format have provided an opportunity for people to see new cars and technologies under one roof in a timely way,” said Bassi, “but influences such as the internet and social media have fundamentally changed that traditional motor show role.”

Instead, Lamborghini will focus on “special locations, exclusive tours and driving programmes for both customers and prospects, and lifestyle events”.

Above: Lamborghini Sian concept art

If Lamborghini stays true to its word, it would make the Lamborghini Sian FKP 37 its last car to debut at a conventional motor show – with the covers pulled back on the model in Frankfurt in 2019.

Lamborghini’s decision could become another nail in the coffin for large international motor shows, which have struggled to maintain a high number of exhibitors amid rising costs.

The Italian marque was among a list of brands that did not attend the 2020 Geneva motor show due to cost – even prior to its cancellation because of COVID-19.

Before the event’s cancellation, German brands such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz said they would not attend the 2020 New York motor show, and the 2020 Detroit motor show had been pushed back to June in a bid to reignite public interest in summer rather than winter.

The final Australian international motor show was held in 2008, with the 2009 event being cancelled in the wake of the global financial crisis, rising costs and falling exhibitor numbers.

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