Prestige car makers skip Paris Motor Show in favor of Geneva

The Paris Motor Show runs from October 1 to 16, 2016. © All rights reserved

Over the years, the Geneva Motor Show has become the preferred event for manufacturers showcasing luxury vehicles and powerful sports cars. This growing success has led many car makers to skip the Paris Motor Show for the first time this year, after presenting key new models at the Swiss event back in March.

The list of manufacturers heading to the 2016 Paris Motor Show features some notable absentees, such as Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, Chevrolet, Lamborghini, Lotus, McLaren and Rolls Royce. Such brands, when exclusively showcasing new models, now prefer Geneva and its wealthy potential buyers to the French capital's event.

Back in March, several spectacular supercars were premiered globally at Geneva, like the new Bugatti Chiron, the Lamborghini Centenario and the Aston Martin DB11 -- rides that those heading to the French show won't be able to admire this year.

More exposure for some

Fans of luxury motors will still be able to visit the Parisian stands of Ferrari, Jaguar and Porsche to check out the new Spider, the restyled F-Type or the second-generation Panamera.

But French car maker Alpine is also skipping this year's Paris Motor Show. Its latest sports car marks the brand's big comeback, with a design expected to nod to the legendary Alpine Berlinette A110, but this eagerly-awaited car won't be making its debut in the French capital.

Other manufacturers not attending this year's French shindig include Ford, Mazda and Volvo, who are instead favoring events and special operations in dealerships. This comes as a further blow for the Parisian show.

Still, French car makers may be able to make the most of the various no-shows to gain more exposure for their own new models, such as the Peugeot 3008 or restyled versions of the Citroën C3 and Renault Clio.

The 2014 Paris Motor Show welcomed just over 1.25 million visitors.

The Paris Motor Show runs October 1 to 16, 2016, at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France. See more at mondial-automobile.com.