News just in is that the 2020 Geneva Motor Show has been cancelled. This comes shortly after an announcement made by the Swiss government earlier today.

“In view of the current situation and the spread of the coronavirus, the Federal Council has categorised the situation in Switzerland as ‘special’ in terms of the Epidemics Act. Large-scale events involving more than 1 000 people are to be banned. The ban comes into immediate effect and will apply at least until 15 March,” the cabinet said in a statement.

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Word from the organisers: “We regret this situation, but the health of all participants is our and our exhibitors’ top priority. This is a case of force majeure and a tremendous loss for the manufacturers who have invested massively in their presence in Geneva. However, we are convinced that they will understand this decision,” said Maurice Turrettini, chairman of the foundation board.

Glitzy

The ban is effective immediately and runs until mid-March. This announcement effectively ruled out the annual motor show taking place. While the annual gathering in Geneva may not be the largest auto show in the world, it is certainly one of the most prestigious. Several high-profile manufacturers have debuted halo models there and several had planned to do so this year.

Hundreds of thousands of auto enthusiasts from around the world flock to the small Swiss town to experience and view the latest machinery in the car world. Around 600 000 people attended the show last year. The 90th edition of the show was scheduled to start next week. This cancellation comes a few weeks after Formula One announced that it would postpone the Chinese Grand Prix that was scheduled to take place in April.

Over the last few weeks, a few automakers chose to unveil models that would be shown, in person, for the first time in at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show. We’ve been covering these models in various stories. You can read about each by clicking on the names below:

Audi S3

Audi e-tron S

BMW i4

Czinger 21C Hypercar

Rimac C-Two Hypercar

Vega EVX electric supercar

VW Golf 8 GTi