Hot news! Car industry bosses have pulled the plug on the British Motor Show. That’s not the 2010 one, or even next year’s event. It’s the British Motor Show 2012 and the powers-that-be have already decided – if you’ll pardon the pun – that it’s a non-starter. Quietly announcing this news yesterday, when the general media was focused on Chilean miners, Liverpool FC and which Government quangos are getting the chop, means it will get little coverage. It also means there’s unlikely to ever be another British Motor Show; it’s a case of BMS RIP.
Car fans who’ve been to recent incarnations of the BMS will be sad, but not surprised. Despite moving it from the Birmingham NEC to London’s ExCeL arena (pictured), it never attracted global new product unveilings from the manufacturers. Because of that it didn’t bring in the paying punters in sufficient numbers. If all you can see is what’s in your local dealerships, why would you go? The BMS has consistently lacked the clout of European shows such as Geneva, Frankfurt and – most recently – Paris. I can still remember the razzamatazz when Rover and Jaguar took the wraps of the 75 and S-Type in 1998. There’s been little to match that since.
Those of us in the media are least surprised of all; most have thought the industry was flogging a dead horse for the better part of a decade. Bringing in 4x4 driving, stunt shows and evening rock concerts was just sticking a plaster on a larger wound.
Petrolheads will still be well-catered for by MPH, which is essentially Top Gear Live, the Autosport Show, and Goodwood Festival of Speed all going from strength to strength. Still a bit sad, though.
Happy memories.
Breakdown Cover from 
