Barcelona Motor Show 2009

First the banking sector and then the motor industry – with Honda pulling out of Formula One, Toyota reporting its first ever loss and General Motors and other carmakers on the brink of bankruptcy, car manufacturers are having a hard time at the moment.

One symptom of this car industry gloom was the cancellation of the British Motor Show in 2010, although these days it isn’t among the elite, but earlier in the year news reports surfaced that the 2009 Barcelona International Motor Show had been cancelled.

Luckily the reports turned out to be false and so the show will be going ahead at the Montjuïc Exhibition Centre, Fira de Barcelona between May 9th and 17th, with the organisers reporting 54 brands confirmed as attending, an all time record for the 90th anniversary of the event.

The Barcelona International Motor Show dates back to 1919, when the Universal Exhibition was held in Ciutadella Park. In 1922, this was the first show to be held in the Montjuïc exhibition centre. Honorary President is King Juan Carlos, who first visited the show when still the Prince in 1966. In 1993, King Juan Carlos accepted the honorary presidency of the show’s Organising Committee and, one year later, the King and Queen presided over the 75th anniversary celebrations.

Previous: U2 kicks off world tour in Barcelona

Next: Easter in Barcelona – 2009