On 30 September 1897, eight motor cars gathered at Berlin’s Hotel Bristol for a one-day exhibition called the “Automobil-Revue”. Organised by the Mitteleuropäische Motorwagenverein, the event is recognised by IAA MOBILITY as the origin of what would become the Internationale Automobilausstellung, or IAA.
The modest display featured vehicles from four early manufacturers: Benz, Daimler, Kühlstein and Lutzmann. With automobiles still regarded largely as experimental motorised carriages, the exhibition was a remarkably small beginning for an event that would eventually become one of the world’s major automotive and mobility platforms.
Interest grew rapidly. The second exhibition followed in 1898 with 13 vehicles, while the 1899 event attracted more than 100 exhibitors. Over the decades, the IAA evolved alongside the industry, moving from Berlin to Frankfurt and eventually expanding beyond cars towards broader mobility. Since 2021, IAA MOBILITY has been staged in Munich, embracing cars, commercial vehicles, bicycles, micromobility, technology and future mobility solutions.
