The Internet Is Killing the Glitzy Auto Show

Ford Motor Co. and Rolls-Royce are among the companies skipping the Paris Motor Show, as the once-unmissable event succumbs to changes sweeping the industry. Instead of shelling out millions to woo consumers to crowded exhibition centers, carmakers are reaching out to buyers where they like to spend time -- on Instagram, blogs and the beach.

“There used to be the feeling that you had to be at every motor show,” said Andy Palmer, chief executive officer of Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd., which is also snubbing the Paris event later this month. “But there are sometimes better ways of doing it than just always spending money on show after show after show.”