Mercedes-Benz has pulled out of next year’s Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto as well as the Montreal International Auto Show, continuing a trend that has seen the automaker withdraw from other shows in Canada and around the world.
CIAS General Manager Jason Campbell told Automotive News Canada that he was not surprised when informed by a Mercedes official of the decision because he had been advised a few weeks earlier by the Montreal Auto Show that the German automobile manufacturer was pulling out of that event. Mercedes withdrew from shows in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Quebec City last year.
“As they weren’t responding to our formal request for space, it was something we had a suspicion about,” Campbell said. “Sometimes companies do make these decisions. Nissan pulled out a few years ago and Volvo pulled out a few years ago, and they’ve come back into the show. Porsche pulled out and it took them a number of years to get back in.
"We would of course prefer to have Mercedes in the show, but individual companies will make their own decisions. We will continue to put on a great show and be the biggest consumer marketplace for new car sales in the country. We believe [Mercedes] will be convinced, and miss their experience at the show and hopefully look to reverse that decision in 2021.”
Campbell said CIAS organizers are speaking with other automakers about occupying the space vacated by Mercedes.
“We want to see who wants to … gain more square footage, which is a common problem that we haven’t been able to give more space to those that wanted more space. That space is currently being re-assigned and given to others. We have a full roster of every other manufacturer in the country participating and we won’t have a big, empty floor space. We’ll grow to fill the space.”
Automotive News Canada is seeking comment from organizers of the Montreal auto show.
