Prestige Detailing secured two tickets to Automechanika Frankfurt 2026, the flagship automotive event held between 8 and 12 September. Here’s what we saw, what we did and, most importantly, what got us excited about what’s in store for the future.
The Rub:
When you attend a marquee automotive event like Automechanika, the first thing that strikes you is the sheer scale.
According to the official figures, more than 112,000 trade visitors from 173 countries descended on Frankfurt for this year’s event. And with 4,400 exhibitors from 80 countries spread across roughly 300,000 m² of exhibition space, you could say we had our work cut out for us.
You’d excuse us, then, if we initially went the familiar route. After all, what’s better than catching up with some old friends?
Bigboi, GYEON and Liquid Elements were all there, showcasing their latest solutions for the automotive aftermarket — and naturally, we made time to pay each of them a visit. (Watch the video below for a glimpse of what they had to offer this year.)
One of the perks of attending an event like Automechanika is getting the opportunity to meet the people behind the brands we work with every day.
For us, that naturally meant stopping by GYEON.
If you’ve spent any time browsing the Prestige Detailing website, you’ll already know that GYEON forms an important part of our product range. From everyday maintenance products such as Q²M Bathe and Q²M WetCoat to the brand’s professional and enthusiast ceramic coatings, we’ve had plenty of first-hand experience with the Korean manufacturer’s approach to car care.
Seeing GYEON at Frankfurt, however, put that range into a much bigger context.
The company’s presence extended beyond the bottles of detailing chemicals most enthusiasts will immediately recognise. Paint protection film, coatings, maintenance products and professional detailing solutions all formed part of a much broader ecosystem built around protecting and preserving vehicles.
Then there was Liquid Elements.
The German manufacturer has built its reputation around making professional-quality detailing equipment accessible to enthusiasts as well as professionals. It’s an approach that has made products such as its polishing machines and Centriforce polishing pads particularly interesting to us at Prestige Detailing.
Finally, Bigboi brought another side of modern detailing into focus: equipment.
Drying a vehicle safely has become an increasingly important part of the detailing process, particularly as enthusiasts have become more conscious of the contact involved in traditional towel drying. But blowers are only one part of the equation. Water filtration, pressure washing and other workshop equipment are increasingly turning what was once a fairly simple collection of buckets, bottles and towels into something resembling a genuinely professional car-care setup.
Walking around Automechanika made one thing very clear: detailing equipment is evolving just as quickly as the chemicals we put on the car.
The Detail:
Elsewhere on the exhibition floor, the buzzwords were sustainability, software-defined vehicles (SDVs) and the word that’s on everyone’s lips at the moment: artificial intelligence.
And while some of these developments might initially seem far removed from the world of detailing, the reality is that the car itself is changing — and the aftermarket will inevitably have to change with it.
The rise of the software-defined vehicle was particularly difficult to ignore. Increasingly, the character and functionality of a modern car are determined not only by what sits underneath the bonnet, but by the software running throughout it. Features can be added or updated remotely, vehicle systems are becoming increasingly interconnected, and the distinction between the mechanical and digital sides of a car continues to blur.
Artificial intelligence naturally featured heavily in that conversation. From diagnostics and workshop processes to manufacturing and vehicle systems, AI was seemingly everywhere at Automechanika. Some applications already feel genuinely useful; others will need time to prove themselves. Either way, it was difficult to leave Frankfurt without the impression that AI will play an increasingly prominent role throughout the automotive industry.
Sustainability, meanwhile, was less of a standalone theme and more of a thread running through the event. Manufacturers across the automotive aftermarket are increasingly thinking differently about materials, packaging, energy consumption, manufacturing processes and, ultimately, the lifespan of the products they produce.
For the detailing industry, that last point is particularly interesting.
After all, there is an inherently preservationist side to what we do. Paint correction can restore tired paintwork rather than resign it to an expensive respray. Ceramic coatings and paint protection film are designed to preserve surfaces for longer. Proper maintenance can keep paintwork, wheels, trim and interiors looking their best years after a vehicle leaves the showroom.
The Finish:
At Prestige Detailing, we spend a lot of time talking about products — which shampoo to use, which polishing combination works best, or which form of protection makes the most sense for a particular car.
Automechanika was a useful reminder that those products exist within a much larger industry undergoing some fairly profound changes.
Cars are becoming smarter. The tools used to maintain them are becoming more sophisticated. Expectations surrounding sustainability are changing. And the line separating traditional automotive engineering from software and technology is becoming increasingly difficult to see.
What does all of that mean for detailing?
We don’t think anyone walking the halls of Frankfurt could give you a definitive answer just yet.
But that’s precisely what made Automechanika 2026 so interesting.
The future of car care isn’t simply going to be about creating a better shampoo, a longer-lasting coating or a more powerful polishing machine. It’s going to be about how those products, technologies and techniques adapt to the cars we’ll be driving — and detailing — next.
And judging by what we saw in Frankfurt, there’s plenty to look forward to.
For us, the exciting part will be seeing how those developments filter down to the detailing industry — and ultimately which of them make their way into the products, equipment and services available here in Malta.
