The 2026 edition of the Turin Auto Show, known locally as Salone Auto Torino, has officially closed after three days that drew an impressive 540,000 visitors to the streets of Turin. Held from September 11 to 13, the free open air event once again transformed the historic center of the city into a sprawling showcase for the automotive industry, reinforcing Turin’s growing reputation as one of Europe’s key automotive destinations.
This year’s edition featured 40 vehicle previews among more than 200 models on display, presented by 47 automakers from around the world. The strong turnout and expanding brand lineup mark the third consecutive year of growth for the event since its launch, cementing its place on the calendar of major European auto shows.
The 2026 show took place across some of Turin’s most recognizable landmarks, including Piazza Castello, Piazzetta Reale and the Royal Museums Gardens. A dedicated Test Drive Area on Corso San Maurizio gave attendees the chance to get behind the wheel of the latest models, blending new vehicle launches with the city’s deep rooted design heritage.
Throughout the weekend, the event welcomed a broad mix of car enthusiasts, families, industry professionals and international visitors. The program combined product unveilings, historic design exhibits, hands on test drives, and business focused meetings, culminating in the international TADA, or Turin Automotive Design Award, events held at the Teatro Regio.
One of the standout results from this year’s show was the performance of the Test Drive Area in the Giardini Reali Bassi, which recorded more than 3,000 road tests over the three day event. Several manufacturers reported fully booked test drive slots through the final day, signaling strong consumer interest in experiencing new vehicle technology firsthand rather than simply viewing it on a stand.
Organizers credited the event’s continued expansion to close collaboration between Salone Auto Torino, the Piedmont Region and the City of Turin, alongside numerous supporting institutions. This partnership has allowed the show to become fully woven into the fabric of the city rather than functioning as an isolated trade event, reflecting Turin and Piedmont’s broader capacity to host large scale international gatherings while celebrating their historic ties to the automotive industry.
Andrea Levy, president of Salone Auto Torino, described the 540,000 visitor total as an extraordinary result that rewards months of coordinated effort. He pointed to the strength of public turnout, the quality and volume of participating brands, the number of previews automakers chose to debut in Turin, and the increasing weight of the event’s industrial and international components. Levy thanked the Piedmont Region, the City of Turin and the Turin Chamber of Commerce for their cooperation, along with ANFIA, UNRAE, FEDERAUTO, ASI and ACI, the participating automakers, event partners and local law enforcement. He also acknowledged the private collectors, MAUTO and the Gino Macaluso Foundation for Historic Cars for their role in the show’s historic design tributes, as well as the Italian and international media that covered the event.
A major addition to this year’s program was bTOb, a new business to business initiative aimed at strengthening ties across the automotive supply chain. Hosted at the Teatro Regio, bTOb attracted more than 250 accredited companies and featured an institutional panel bringing together the Piedmont Region, the Turin Chamber of Commerce, ANFIA, UNRAE and FEDERAUTO.
The initiative was designed to extend the value of the show beyond public facing exhibitions, positioning Turin as a hub for industry networking, partnership building and business development within the automotive sector.
Turin’s growing international profile was further reinforced by the participation of several Asian manufacturers and delegations, along with the second edition of TADA, which brought international designers and industry figures to the city. Italy’s Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, highlighted this positioning during the opening ceremony, calling Salone Auto Torino a global crossroads for the automotive industry.
The 2026 show brought together an unusually diverse mix of legacy automakers, global manufacturers and emerging market entrants. Brands on display included Alfa Romeo, Automobili Lamborghini, BMW, BONTU, BYD, Changan, Chery, Citroën, DS Automobiles, Dongfeng, EMC, FAWCAR, FIAT, GAC, GFG Style, Geely, GWM, Honda, Hongqi, ICAUR, IED, Itala, Italdesign, Jeep, KGM, Kia, Lancia, Leapmotors, Lepas, Linktour, Lotus, Lynk & Co, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, OMODA JAECOO, Opel, O.S.C.A., Peugeot, Pininfarina, Porsche, RECARO Automotive, Renault, Suzuki, Tesla, XPENG and Zeekr.
Visitors got an up close look at a wide range of new and updated models throughout the weekend. Standouts included the Alfa Romeo Tonale Plug in Hybrid Q4 Veloce, the Lamborghini Temerario, Revuelto, Urus SE, Fenomeno and Miura, and new versions of the BMW iX3, X5 and i3.
Chinese and other emerging manufacturers showed a strong presence, with BYD presenting the Sealion 7, Dolphin Surf and Dolphin G DM i, Changan showcasing the DEEPAL S05 Ultra Hybrid and DEEPAL S07 MY26, and Chery displaying the Tiggo 9, Tiggo 8 and Tiggo Q. Additional debuts came from GWM, Geely, Hongqi, GAC, Leapmotors and XPENG, reflecting the growing role of Chinese automakers on the European stage.
Italian design heritage was well represented through Italdesign’s concept lineup, which included tributes such as the Honda NSX Tribute, Nissan GTR 50, BMW Nazca C2 and Ferrari GG50, alongside GFG Style’s Bugatti EB112 and Aston Martin Twenty Twenty concepts. Pininfarina brought the Sergio concept together with the Ferrari 400i and Ferrari 550 Maranello, tying the show’s contemporary lineup to its design legacy.
Other highlights included the Porsche 911, Cayenne, Macan and Panamera, the Maserati Grecale Trofeo and MCPURA Cielo, the Mazda CX 5 and CX 6e lineup, new electric models from Mercedes Benz including the GLC and C Class, and the Tesla Cybertruck alongside the Model 3 and Model Y.
The Test Drive Area featured models from BYD, Changan, Dongfeng, EMC, Geely, GWM, Honda, Hongqi, KIA, Lepas, Lynk & Co, Mazda, OMODA JAECOO, Suzuki, Tesla and Zeekr, giving attendees hands on access to the latest electric and hybrid technology available on the market.
Beyond new vehicle launches, the 2026 show placed strong emphasis on celebrating Turin’s design legacy. The opening ceremony at the Palazzo Reale’s Corte d’Onore included Piero Ferrari, who joined celebrations marking the centenary of designer Sergio Pininfarina’s birth, a moment that tied together two of the most influential names in Italian automotive history.
The Pininfarina tribute continued with an exhibition of ten related works of art at the Palazzo Reale, while the Royal Museums Gardens hosted additional exhibits celebrating 120 years of Lancia, the legacy of designer Marcello Gandini, the history of Ferrari Club Italia, Bertone design curated by ASI, and vehicles from the historic London to Brighton run.
The Gino Macaluso Foundation for Historic Cars loaned several significant vehicles for these tributes, including a Ferrari F40 and Ferrari Testarossa honoring Pininfarina, a Lamborghini Miura P400 SV celebrating Marcello Gandini, and a Lancia 037 alongside a Beta Montecarlo representing a key era in Italian motorsport history.
The three day schedule included several signature events beyond the main exhibition. Press Day brought international media to the show for press conferences and product presentations, while TADA gathered leading design figures at the Teatro Regio. The weekend also featured the Supercar Meeting Venaria Reale Turin, connecting the Reggia di Venaria with the city center through a parade of supercars, along with the IED Torino Sketch Marathon, a design competition aimed at young and emerging automotive designers.
Salone Auto Torino 2026 was made possible with support from the Piedmont Region, Fondazione CRT, OGR, the Turin Chamber of Commerce and Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo. The event received patronage from Italy’s Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, along with the City of Turin, the City of Venaria Reale, ASI Automotoclub Storico Italiano, ACI Automobile Club d’Italia, Automobile Club Torino, ANFIA, UNRAE and the Polytechnic University of Turin. Additional support came from partners including GTT, the Royal Museums of Turin, Fondazione Torino Musei, Turismo Torino e Provincia and WeTaxi.
With three successful editions now complete, Salone Auto Torino has established itself as a growing fixture on the European automotive calendar, combining public accessibility with an increasingly serious industrial and business dimension through initiatives like bTOb. As automakers continue to use the event as a launch platform for new hybrid, electric and performance models, Turin’s position as a meeting point between automotive history and the industry’s future appears set to strengthen in the years ahead.