Germany’s Leipzig Cancels Auto Show

VIENNA – AMI Auto Mobil International Leipzig 2016, Germany’s second-largest auto show, was cancelled in a surprising move announced Monday.

The show is organized by the trade fair company Leipziger Messe in cooperation with VDIK, the German association of car importers.

The organizer says the show, scheduled for April 9-17, has been called off because many automakers began canceling their participation this month.

“Until a few days ago, we recorded a number of registrations at the level of the AMI 2014 and were confident that we (would) succeed to organize a successful fair, although important volume manufacturers chose not to participate and the exhibition areas were significantly reduced,” Martin Buhl-Wagner, CEO of Leipziger Messe, says in a prepared statement.

“In recent days, however, an unprecedented development began: Many car manufacturers decided in quick succession to cancel their exhibition presence.”

In early February, 22 automakers with a total of 27 brands were registered for the Leipzig show. However, 13 manufacturers with 17 brands subsequently cancelled their participation.

The Frankfurt auto show, which is held every other year, is the main car exhibition in Germany. The next Frankfurt show will take place in September 2017.

AMI Leipzig is the main auto show in the eastern part of Germany. It has been staged 22 times since 1991.

The Leipzig show attracted 242,000 visitors in 2014. There was no show last year.