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Sad that such a long running thing appears to be coming to a permanent end. I guess it's hard to justify a British car show when the British car industry has taken such a kicking over the past few years. Also the fact that rival shows like the MPH show seem to offer a lot more entertainment for the general public (multiple live shows hosted by the Top Gear crew etc) means that there's little demand for a traditional, 'old-fashioned' motor show.Credit crunch kills off UK motor show
Next year’s London Motor Show has been axed due to the global economic crisis, it has been revealed. The show has been in decline for years and thanks in part to the rapid deterioration of the British car industry it looks like it may never return.
Officially the lunchtime announcement is expected to drop the 2010 event although it is thought that the show is unlikely to be staged again. Organisers have said that if the economy picks up they will consider bringing it back.
The move was made after a summit of car company chiefs at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders last week, the body which has owned the show since 1903. The SMMT is understood to have recently binned its exhibitions department and it is unlikely the show will be resurrected.
The show was once a major draw for the public but in recent years the number of manufacturers and world debuts has dwindled. Across the globe motor shows are struggling and with virtually no homegrown UK manufacturers to prop up the British show its days were always numbered.
It was suggested in January that the Tokyo show may be cancelled and Land Rover, Nissan, Porsche and Ferrari were all no shows at the ’09 Detroit show.