Comment: What ever happened to the British Motor Show?

The Paris Motor Show kicks off on 2 October, with the French capital playing host to some of the world’s biggest car launches. Audi, BMW, Ford and Jaguar are all set to take centre stage in what should be a fantastic Gallic spectacle.

However, as a Brit preparing to cover the event, I cannot help but feel a sense of envy. After all, with resurgence in the British car industry, shouldn’t we be hosting international motor shows? And what ever happened to the British Motor Show?

Once an automotive institution, the British Motor Show entertained and enthralled millions for more than a century. Yet since 2008, the event has been consigned to the scrap heap.

The first British Motor Show was held at Crystal Palace in 1903 before moving to Olympia in 1905. It then moved to Earls Court in 1937 where it continued until the mid-1970s. However, after an unsuccessful stint at Birmingham’s NEC, the British Motor Show faded into obscurity and disappeared altogether after a forlorn appearance at ExCel in 2008.

Since then, we’ve been forced to watch from the sidelines as Britain’s latest innovations get their premieres at Geneva, Paris, Tokyo and Los Angeles - and not in their spiritual homes, here in Blighty.

Ok, I accept that our automotive industry is foreign owned these days, with the profits diverted back to shareholders in Germany, Japan and India, but surely they would be willing to back a new London event to celebrate their latest British new cars? After all, Britain’s foreign owned car firms invest £1.9 billion each year in the UK, is it too much to ask for a tiny fraction of this to be diverted for a new car show in London?

I know the internet allows car buyers to configure new vehicles from the comfort of your living room these days, but as the Paris Motor Show will prove, there really is no substitute for a huge, glitzy event. Imagine it, the Jaguar F-Type, the latest Range Rover, the new MINI and the British-built Nissan Qashqai all being launched in the county of their birth. Not only would it be a superb tribute to the 1 million people employed in the automotive industry, but it might also prompt a few more manufacturers to set up shop here.

So come on Britain, let’s get a show that’s worthy of heritage and prestige of our booming car industry. Let’s bring back the British Motor Show in London!