Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA)

TITLE: Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA)WHERE: Frankfurt, Germany

WHEN: Every odd-year in September. Alternates with ParisNEXT: September 13-25 2011. Media day September 13-14STATUS: Vies with Beijing and Paris as the world’s biggest new-car showScheduled biennially to alternate with the Paris motor show, Germany’s Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA), which translates in International Automobile Exhibition, has been regarded as the world's biggest new-car expo – a fact that is not lost on the nearly one million visitors each expo attracts.

The Frankfurt show has also been regarded as arguably the most important of all new-car motor shows, with many car-makers choosing the IAA as their production and/or concept car launch pad.

But the massive growth of the car market in China and the fact that all the world’s major car makers are all big players in the Chinese car market has seen a shift in Frankfurt’s claims to motor show fame to Beijing.

The first German motor show was held in Berlin in about 1897 – around the time Herr Daimler and Herr Benz were taking out their patents on the automobile. Frankfurt gained the show from 1951.

In 1991 the show was divided into two segments: even-numbered years show commercial vehicles in Hanover and odd-numbered years see passenger vehicles and motorcycles displayed in Frankfurt.

It is organised by the Association of the German Automotive Industry (VDA), and is scheduled by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles which considers it a major international auto show.