We travelled 800kms to see the IAA – was it worth it?

I am still hooked on car events, and there has been nearly nothing since the outbreak of the global pandemic. This makes a clear case for the IAA 2021, the first major international car show held since the outbreak. For a century, this event has been the pinnacle of international car shows, so what could go wrong? Well, this year, everything’s different for the IAA: new location, new COVID rules following proliferate vaccination, and all this in the middle of the automotive trying to find its place in a turbulent new world.

IAA may no longer be the petrolheads’ Mecca once was, but if you still want to see it, I will tell you if I felt satisfied with the experience. In a later article, I will also show you my favourite spots, as the IAA’s official website was not very helpful in obtaining the big picture.

The first big novelty is that Frankfurt is no longer home to the IAA, which changed many things. Apart from being 400kms southeast, the city is famous for being home to BMW. Therefore, the organisers had to make some adaptations to satisfy BMW’s competitors. They also embraced a brand-new concept to include the city centre accessible via a regular (free) shuttle.

The IAA Munich 2021 only lasts a week, with limited access to the actual car show, as in the first few days, the exhibition halls (confusingly called “the Summit”) are not open to the public, at least until Wednesday.

Even with the opening of the  Summit halls, IAA Munich will still have fewer cars than ever before. This year, the car industry remained absent at an unprecedented level.

I already wrote this at the IAA 2019, but the IAA 2021 goes to a whole new level. Basically, a few German brands are present with a few import brands and the Chinese exotics that steal the show.

No PSA-FIAT group, none of the Japanese brands are represented. Also, those ones present took things back quite a bit. Previous Mercedes stages were jaw-dropping event halls, but the current one is something you would instead expect at a show outside Germany.

At the same time, BMW did not take over the role of the host and did not compensate for the loss of potential.

Don’t get me wrong, IAA Munich offers all the usual treats, from concepts through world premiers to interactive installations.

It does its job as both a trade show for new and classic cars as well as a flagship industry event.

And even with those few brands, the show offers a much more diverse selection of entertainment. There is a clear shift from automotive to alternative means of transport, but the main innovation of IAA 2021 is the involvement of the city centre.

Most participating brands set up a different stage in the centre to showcase their models and bring the whole IAA experience closer to the general population for free!

This might be a new way forward in response to the pandemic, and it also seemed to work. In the sunny afternoon, the centre of Munich was filled with locals and visitors to discover the city and the prospects of mobility together.

All this makes the IAA Munich a unique experience even for regular show-goers, though one needs quite an addiction to drive that distance for a car show. Actually in our case, this was slightly over 1600kms, as we also had to travel back (with special thanks to our enthusiastic member taking over the entire drive). For petrolheads living much closer, say within 3 hours of distance, the IAA is definitely a must-see. In fact, with test drives and sightseeing, it might leave you entertained for days.

Although this was the first actual A list car event since the pandemic, I did not give up hope and kept my annual calendar regularly updated. With the first significant car event in Europe, I hope many will follow.