Renault revisits six decades of Paris Motor Show history, from the Renault 8 to the electric R5 E-Tech

Having become too small for millions of visitors and ever larger stands, the Paris Motor Show for cars, bicycles and motorcycles permanently left the Grand Palais in 1962 and moved to the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre. Some regretted the elegance of the Grand Palais and found the new venue as cold as its concrete, but the 1962 edition is still remembered as one of the show's finest and was the first truly international one, with 108 brands from 12 producing nations. To inaugurate the new venue, Renault presented the Renault 8, the first French mass-produced car with four-wheel disc brakes as standard, a technology previously reserved for sports and luxury models. The same show saw Jean Rédélé unveil the first Alpine A110, the small Renault-powered sports car that would go on to dominate rallying.

Between 1962 and 1972 the automotive industry grew at an unprecedented pace, helped by a booming economy, a maturing motorway network, rising purchasing power and a new culture of leisure; carmakers diversified their line-ups and kept raising comfort and performance. In October 1972 the Renault 5 was the star of the show, or rather the 'Supercar' as the advertising campaign called it. On sale since January, it was already familiar to some French motorists: by February, 1,920 Renault 5s had taken to the country's roads. With its modern lines, wraparound bumpers, hatchback and vibrant colours, it broke with the conventions of the time, appealed particularly to women and younger drivers, and became France's best-selling car for ten consecutive years, from 1974 to 1983.

The show later adopted a biennial schedule, taking place every two years in even-numbered years and alternating with Germany, and in 1988 it took the name Paris Motor Show, with the Renault stand sometimes covering more than 3,000 square metres. In October 1984 the show became a rescue operation for the Espace: on sale since July and with a one-box design that fitted no established category, the MPV had sold only nine units in France in its first month. Renault chose to focus not on engine or performance but on interior space, showing visitors a modular cabin with seats that could be moved and removed, and orders poured in after the show. On October 5, 1992, Renault unveiled the Twingo even though its commercial launch was not scheduled until April 1993, and 2,240 firm reservations were recorded during the show. In 1996 the Mégane Scénic turned the compact MPV into a new benchmark, and the 1998 show was particularly significant because Renault celebrated its centenary while the Paris show marked its own 100th anniversary.

The traditional motor show model later came under pressure: in 2016 several carmakers opted not to have a stand and attendance fell by 15%, a trend also seen in Frankfurt, Geneva and Detroit, as digital technology changed the way products were unveiled while exhibition space stayed expensive. The 2020 edition was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the show returned in 2022 in a shorter, more interactive format, with attendance rising significantly again in 2024. In 2022, after a four-year absence, Renault Group turned the show into a showcase for its new strategy combining electrification with the revival of its iconic models, and the stand itself became a television and radio studio open to the public, while Dacia unveiled its entire line-up for the first time under its new visual identity. In 2024 the neo-retro offensive brought three iconic silhouettes back as electric models, three generations of popular cars first unveiled on the Paris stage in 1961, 1972 and 1992. The article concludes that Renault has learned a motor show is not just about presenting a car, but about helping people understand it, experience it and sometimes convincing them it can change the way they live and move.