The history of the Motor Show 

 

Motor shows have long been the most important arena for car manufacturers to display their new models, show-off their latest innovations and meet their customers.

 

They have been around in one form or another since the very earliest days of the automobile. In Paris, the first motor show of any significance took place in 1898, even though there were still extremely few cars actually on the road. In London the first major show was 1903. In Detroit it was 1907, and in Melbourne, Australia, it was 1925. But all these shows, and all the other leading ones around the world have changed dramaticaly since the eary days and are now huge, multi-million dollar extravaganzas which contain elaborate side shows and attractions for all the family.  

 

The following article describes the evolution of the British Motor show which has become a major biennial event in more recent times.

 

The long journey of the British Motor Show

by Oliver Foster, from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders

 

At the turn of the 20th Century, few saw a long-term future for the car. Small-scale motor shows existed but were dominated by several shady characters who did the industry's reputation no good whatesoever. Then, Frederick R Simms, who would later become the founder of the Royal Automobile Club (now known as the RAC), called a meeting in London, inviting all those considered to be the more responsible individuals in the industry. Simms' idea was to bring some order to what had become a rash of events promoting the newfangled motor car. This meeting marked the founding of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and just six months later, in 1903, the doors opened on their first show with nearly 200 exhibitors.

 

The first British Motor Show, which opened its doors at London's Crystal Palace from 30 January to 7 February 1903, attracted over 10,000 visitors - not bad when you consider that there were only 8,000 private cars on the road at the time! But it wasn't the first show to be held in Britain: the horseless carriage exhibition at Tunbridge Wells in 1895 took that honour, with a grand total of five exhibits including two cars, a fire engine, a steam carriage and a tricycle.

 

SMMT's second show was also staged at Crystal Palace a year later. From 1905, with shows staged in February and November, the venue became Olympia. It remained there until the war years, 1914-18, during which there were no shows at all. But business resumed in November 1919, by which time motoring was taken much more seriously, in most part due to the role of the motor vehicle in the war itself.

 

1937 saw the historical move to Earls Court. There was another pause during the Second World War before the show restarted there in 1948, but organisers were less than optimistic about its prospects. At this time, buying a car was a slow process. Of the 334,000 cars produced in UK factories, only 113,000 were consigned to the home market. People ordering cars at the time were unlikely to take delivery for a long time, so most vehicles in circulation were old bangers from the 1920s and 1930s. Even then, their use was restricted due to limited petrol allowances. Yet, when the doors swung open at Earls Court, it became obvious that the nation's appetite for motoring was still strong. Some 500,000 visitors poured through the gates - an impressive figure when you think that the 2006 show is expected to attract the same number.

 

In the Fifties and Sixties, the British International Motor Show became a cultural institution on a par with the Grand National or the Boat Race. Car ownership was growing fast, encouraged by clever advertising and marketing techniques. The next big milestone was the decision not only to move the show to the newly opened National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, but also to make it biennial. Everyone involved was nervous as the gates opened in 1978, its first year in the West Midlands. However the support from locals, who made most of the British cars, was overwhelming. Over 900,000 crammed into the NEC, setting an attendance record. By 1980, the NEC had extended its complex and improved its facilities, and similar improvements have been introduced for virtually every show since.

 

In 2006, the British Motor Show returned to London. This time it had a new venue at the Excell Centre in the heart of London's regenerated docklands area along the River Thames. It was the biggest motor show ever held in London and set a standard that future show organisers now have to live up to.