Event
Every motor show in the world traces its lineage back to Paris. In June 1898, the Exposition Internationale d'Automobiles opened in the Jardin des Tuileries, organised by the Automobile Club de France under the leadership of industry pioneer Jules-Albert de Dion. To prove their reliability, exhibitors first had to complete a forty-kilometre round trip from Versailles to Paris. French President Félix Faure attended the opening, though he famously arrived and departed in a horse-drawn carriage—sceptical about the future of these self-propelled machines. Within three weeks, 140,000 visitors had come to see 269 exhibits from 77 manufacturers. The automobile had announced itself.
The show moved to the Grand Palais in 1901 and ran annually until 1976, when it became biennial. It took its current name—Mondial de l'Automobile—in 1988, having established itself as one of the industry's most important platforms for world premieres. Today it occupies the Paris Expo at Porte de Versailles, where the 2024 edition drew over 508,000 visitors across six days to see 48 manufacturers and 158 exhibitors. When attendance peaked in 2016, 1.25 million people passed through the halls—making it the most visited motor show on earth.
The Mondial remains a barometer for where the industry is heading. Recent editions have showcased the rapid electrification of European manufacturers alongside an increasing presence from Chinese brands entering the market. Concept cars hint at design directions; production models compete for attention; and the whole event carries the particular energy of a city that has understood automobiles since before most countries had paved roads. Paris Expo sits directly on Metro Line 12 at Porte de Versailles—accessible from anywhere in the city within minutes.
