The British International Motor Show is an annual

motor show An auto show, also known as a motor show or car show, is a public exhibition of current automobile models, debuts, concept cars, or out-of-production classics. It is attended by automotive industry representatives, dealers, auto journalists a ...

held by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders between 1903 and 2008 in England, and as The British Motor Show since 2021 by Automotion Events. Initially held in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

The Crystal Palace The Crystal Palace was a cast iron and plate glass structure, originally built in Hyde Park, London, Hyde Park, London, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. The exhibition took place from 1 May to 15 October 1851, and more than 14,000 exhibit ...

, Olympia and then the

Earls Court Exhibition Centre Earls Court Exhibition Centre was a major international exhibition and events venue just west of central London. At its peak it is said to have generated a £2 billion turnover for the economy. It replaced exhibition and entertainment grounds, ...

, it moved to the National Exhibition Centre in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...

in 1978, where it stayed until 2004. It was held at

ExCeL London ExCeL London (an abbreviation for Exhibition Centre London) is an exhibition centre, international convention centre and former hospital in the Custom House area of Newham, East London. It is situated on a site on the northern quay of the ...

in 2006 and 2008 and now based in Farnborough (Hampshire) at the airport exhibition centre. The 2010 and 2012 events were cancelled due to the

global financial crisis Global means of or referring to a globe and may also refer to: Entertainment * ''Global'' (Paul van Dyk album), 2003 * ''Global'' (Bunji Garlin album), 2007 * ''Global'' (Humanoid album), 1989 * ''Global'' (Todd Rundgren album), 2015 * Bruno ...

. Between 2016 and 2019 there were annual motor shows held under the

London Motor Show London Motor Show, formerly the London Motorfair, is a motor show in England. It was held biannually at Earls Court Exhibition Centre, from 1977 to 1999. When the event won the support of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and P&O ...

banner. The show returned in 2021 to Farnborough under the banner of The British Motor Show and was the first international motor show event to take place after the lifting of coronavirus measures. The event recorded 45,000 visitors in its first year returning, and proceeded to grow to almost 60,000 visitors in 2022 The British Motor Show is committed to a presence at Farnborough until at least 2025 and will now become an annual event as opposed to its previous bi-annual format.

History

Britain's first motor show—for horseless carriages—was held in

South Kensington South Kensington, nicknamed Little Paris, is a district just west of Central London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Historically it settled on part of the scattered Middlesex village of Brompton. Its name was supplanted with ...

in 1896 at the

Imperial Institute The Commonwealth Education Trust is a registered charity established in 2007 as the successor trust to the Commonwealth Institute. The trust focuses on primary and secondary education and the training of teachers and invests on educational pro ...

under the auspices of Lawson's Motor Car Club. The first British Motor Show organised by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) was held at

, London in 1903, the same year that the speed limit was raised from to by the

Motor Car Act 1903 The Motor Car Act 1903 (3 Edw.7, c. 36) was an Act of the United Kingdom Parliament that received royal assent on 14 August 1903, which introduced motor vehicle registration, driver licensing and increased the speed limit. Context The Act follow ...

and two years before the formation of

The AA AA Limited, trading as The AA (formerly The Automobile Association), is a British motoring association. Founded in 1905, it provides vehicle insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans, motoring advice, road maps and other services. Th ...

. In 1905, it moved to

Olympia, London Olympia London, sometimes referred to as the Olympia Exhibition Centre, is an exhibition centre, event space and conference centre in West Kensington, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, London, England. A range of internati ...

, where it was held for the next 32 years before moving to the

from 1937 until 1976, except for the period of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

during which time there were no shows. From 1978 until 2004, it was held every second year at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC),

, with the 2004 event being held in May, rather than the traditional October, to avoid a clash with the

Paris Motor Show The Paris Motor Show (french: Mondial de l'Automobile) is a biennial auto show in Paris. Held during October, it is one of the most important auto shows, often with many new production automobile and concept car debuts. The show presently take ...

. The 1980 event was attended by both the actor

Lewis Collins Lewis Collins (27 May 1946 – 27 November 2013)"Happy Birthday Richard Hastilow, 65", ''The Times'', 26 May 2010 was an English actor, best known for his career-defining role playing 'Bodie' in the late 1970s – early 1980s British television ...

and the stand-up comedian

Stewart Lee Stewart Graham Lee (born 5 April 1968) is an English comedian, screenwriter, and television director. His stand-up routine is characterised by repetition, internal reference, deadpan delivery, and consistent breaking of the fourth wall. Lee b ...

. The July 2006 and July 2008 shows were held at

. The 2010 and 2012 shows were cancelled due to the

. Between 2016 and 2019 there were annual motor shows held under the

banner. Britain returned to the international motor show stage in 2021 with The British Motor Show held at Farnborough International.

Locations

Earls Court

The cars listed are those announced in the late summer lead up to the show or during it. Manufacturers did announce other cars at times to suit them and as that practice grew the public lost interest and the motor show finished its long run in the middle of the 1970s.

Birmingham

ExCeL

References and notes

SMMT history including that of the motor show
* – Source of show locations and dates

External links

Archived website of the British Motor Show
{{Authority control Auto shows in the United Kingdom Automotive industry in the United Kingdom 1903 establishments in England Recurring events established in 1903 2008 disestablishments in England Recurring events disestablished in 2008