After IAA 2007 closed its doors, the organizer VDA published a press release.
“This 62nd International Motor Show Cars is definitely one of the most successful IAAs ever. This IAA shows that the fascination of the car continues unbroken! … With nearly 1 million visitors from 125 countries, this IAA has even exceeded the very good result from the year 2005. This means that in terms of the number of visitors it is one of the two best IAA Cars in history! This is a great success showing the way forward for the whole automotive industry, for all our exhibitors – manufacturers and suppliers alike – and it is a very clear vote for the automobile. There is no other product that moves people more and arouses more emotions than the automobile,” emphasized Matthias Wissmann, President of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), at the IAA’s final press conference in Frankfurt.

“The 62nd IAA Cars had exceeded the expectations of the exhibitors – manufacturers and suppliers alike,” Wissmann added. The overall concept of the IAA had been oriented even more strongly to customers. “The IAA is the world’s most important trade fair for mobility and will remain so. Nowhere else are there more new developments on display. The vehicle manufacturers alone have shown 88 world premieres, 46 of them world premieres with German badges,” Wissmann said.

Furthermore, this IAA has been the trade fair of technical visions: “Here we have had a preview of new models that will be launched onto the market two or three years from now,” the VDA president underscored. “This IAA has shown just what driving force for innovation and energy there is in this industry, and the range and the quality of the new, low-consumption vehicles, whose CO2 emissions are markedly lower than anything else that has gone before.”

“The German automotive industry – manufacturers and suppliers alike – has gone on the offensive in terms of environment policy. With its hard facts, clear concepts and dates for the introduction of new products, it has even won over persistent critics. This is an achievement by our companies, for whom climate protection has now become a matter for the top level of management,” Wissmann stressed.

Above all, this ‘technological offensive’ had convinced the critics with its diversity of solutions, he added. These included clean diesel, where the German brands are global market leaders, the optimization of the gasoline car, numerous hybrid models and vehicles powered by CNG or fuel cells.

Wissmann underscored, “One other thing has also become clear at this IAA: a technological thrust like this cannot be pulled out of a hat. It is much more the result of years of hard development work, whose fruits are now within reach.” However, the German automotive industry was not going to rest on what it had achieved so far: “Instead we have resolved to become even better, to continue increasing the fuel efficiency of our vehicles, and thus to reduce CO2 emissions.”

Here the VDA president also sees a “great opportunity for the competitiveness of this industry.” He said, “Those who join the ‘CO2 Marathon’ sooner and with more stamina will be rewarded in the end with growing market shares and will lead international competition.”

In addition, the models at this IAA have shown that “fun behind the wheel and economical driving are by no means mutually exclusive. Instead, with intelligent application, they can complement each other and even promote each other. Customers don’t want a ‘muesli car’,” said Wissmann, adding, “A successful car has to be sexy.”

This IAA has been more political and international than any other before it. Climate change, fuel efficiency and CO2 reductions have determined the political topics. Of the 1,081 exhibitors, 42 percent came from abroad, i.e. 58 more foreign exhibitors than in 2005. Of the total of 14,722 journalists at the IAA, 40 percent came from abroad – from 94 countries. The average IAA visitor is 34 years old. Two thirds of all IAA visitors want to come back again either “definitely” or “very probably.” One visitor in four is planning to buy a passenger car in the next six months.

The numerous special activities at the IAA went down very well. For example, the number of people taking test drives and going on the off-road vehicle circuit was up by a quarter in each case, and the go-cart track was also in great demand. Over 2,000 motorists improved their individual driving style by having eco-training to learn how to reduce their CO2 output. The new series of workshops entitled ‘GoIng’ provided some responses to the shortage of engineers. The reduced-price tickets to the IAA for classes of schoolchildren coming with their teachers were used by 12,800 children accompanied by 900 teachers – a rise of over 25 percent compared to the last IAA.

A special kind of premiere was the ‘Forum – Sustainable Mobility’ at this IAA, where high-ranking politicians and top-level managers met for discussion. New focuses were provided by the first joint conference of the trade union IG Metall and the VDA at the IAA, attended by VDA President Wissmann, IG Metall President Peters and the German Minister of Transport, Wolfgang Tiefensee. A total of 30 specialist events were held at the IAA, attracting more than 3,000 participants.

The next IAA is on its way! The 63rd International Motor Show (IAA) Cars will take place from 17 to 27 September 2009, once again in Frankfurt am Main.