Founded in 1971 Automechanika Frankfurt has developed to become the most important meeting place for the industry, dealership trade and maintenance and repair segment. We take a look back on five decades of trade fair history and its showcased innovations.
50 years automotive aftermarket

- 1970s: Green, yellow, red and orange – colours were striking in the 70s. As the range of cars on offer increased, more importers entered the market. Safety was a key area of focus. In 1971 – the same year Automechanika was founded- the airbag was patented in Germany. In 1978 ABS (anti-block-system) hit the market.
- 1980s: Environmental aspects are a focus area with the special emission test (ASU, Abgas-Sonder-Untersuchung) being introduced to Germany in 1985. The decade also witnesses a boom time for car parts: Spoilers rocker panels, custom wheels and lowered suspensions are all the rage. Yet the highpoint is the fall of the wall in 1989, the opening of the East creates a new market for many.
- 1990s: Affordable telephone networks and mobile phones become available – resulting in in-car-phones. Soon to be followed by navigation systems that can be retro-fitted. At the same time, the digitisation of the automotive business goes hand-in-hand with the introduction of workshop networking.
- 2000s: The possible impacts of hybrid cars on work in automotive workshops are a topic of discussion as they require special training courses for high-voltage technology. The internet is increasingly serving as a source of information. The end of the decade witnesses the market launch of the first Tesla. Apple launches the iPhone and eventually impacts the features found in cars.
- 2010s: Topics like digitization and connectivity revolutionize complex processes in vehicles and workshops. Features such as automatic parking assistants offer insights into a future of autonomous driving. The demand for alternative drive systems increases.
Automechanika in pictures











