The British International Motor Show moved from Birmingham to London this year aiming for a new image. Michael McAleer reports from London
The return to London of the British "international" motor show after over 30 years was welcomed by most, if not all major brands, and for car enthusiasts who find themselves in the city during the final days of July it's a very worthwhile detour. Even Tony Blair gave his support, hosting a reception at Downing Street last night for car bosses.
It's still a local British show, albeit with a strong international flavour. The extra effort put in by some to add the international feel is simply down to one thing: the location. For the sheer fact it's not in Birmingham - home to recent struggling shows over the years - we must give thanks.
Even if the number of world premieres pales in comparison o the likes of the Paris show this September or the annual Geneva show in February, the attraction of London lured far more international press than any Midlands show could. More importantly, it convinced big players like Opel, Honda, Mazda, Land Rover and Chrysler that it was something worth getting involved with and worthy of hosting world debuts from their brands.
Of course, to attract the expected audience of 400,000, the show has its share of glitz and sideshow hoopla. There's the extremely tame off-road driving track, a test drive circuit of 2.2km where you can experience a mainstream selection of cars, though no Porsches or Ferraris unfortunately.
There's even a theatre show, albeit with cars as the stars and stunt drivers in Opel OPC performance models. The action is choreographed to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
For all the sideshows and glitz, the key to a successful car show is to host a world premiere and the London organisers managed something of a coup by persuading General Motors to reveal its new - and vitally important - Opel Corsa at the show. The Opel spend on the event and surrounding publicity must have run into millions, with a pre-launch party held on the banks of the Thames on Monday.
There, the new Corsa was carried below a helicopter that hovered over Tower Bridge while rapper Sean Paul provided the live musical accompaniment. These are the sorts of high profile launches that put car shows in the limelight of the general media. The new Corsa breaks the mould from previous generations for the Opel small car entrant and the litany of buzzwords being used at launch were about creating a car full of "urban expression", a car that is "cool", one that will "elicit emotional bonds to the product". Whatever about the marketing spin, the new Corsa looks a lot more sporting and youthful than any of its tame predecessors.
Similarly, Land Rover chose the London show to launch its new Freelander. Taking its design cues from a mix of the Discovery and the recent Range Rover Sport, the Freelander 2 is set to challenge the likes of BMW X3, but it will also rival the new Toyota RAV4 and Nissan's X-Trail. Of the other stars, Honda introduced its new three-door Civic, to go under the monicker of S-Type, while Mazda brought in its new hard-topped version of the MX-5. Regarded as the best mainstream two-seater on the market, there are some wondering exactly what the point of the hard-top is - apparently Mazda were never really inundated with requests for such a format - and the proof will come when the car takes to the road as to how the extra weight impacts on the car's handling.
From the US, Chrysler made the most of the London show with the introduction of its new BMW 3-Series rival, the Sebring. Due to arrive in right-hand-drive markets in summer next year, the Sebring features four engines ranging from a 2-litre petrol to a 2.7-litre V6, along with an all-important 2-litre 140bhp diesel option.
Meanwhile, the Bavarians, not to be outdone, seem to have taken the London show to heart. Given that it's the third single largest market for the brand, it's hardly surprising - but they were always loath to support the Birmingham motor shows in the past. This time, in an effort to show support for the London venue, they not only had a stand, but also took over the entire pavilion with a collection of cars from BMW, Mini and Rolls Royce. They even included a full-size racing yacht for good measure.
Sadly, not every brand was as supportive and it's the significant number of no-shows by brands like Volkswagen, Audi and even prestige brands like Porsche - all of which do very well in Britain - that will keep the show a relatively local one for the time being. Large seating areas between the stands of those present represent lost potential for the show to truly compete on a world stage.
For all the missed opportunities and missing brands it still represents relatively good value for visitors and a well-organised event that should see us back in London next year.
Where's it on? London's ExCeL exhibition hall in the Docklands
How long does it run? Public days run from July 20th to 30th (9.30am - 9pm/Sunday July 30th: 9.30am - 5pm)
Who's at the show? Over 200 exhibitors including 40 manufacturers
How many will attend? Organisers are hoping to attract over 400,000 visitors
How to get there? If you are flying, the show is 35 minutes from Stansted and an estimated five minutes from the City airport
Highlights: New Opel Corsa, new Land Rover Freelander, Jaguar's new XKR and a host of specialist British marques such as Morgan and TVR
Lowlights: some big name brands are no-shows, in particular Audi, Volkswagen and Porsche. Given that Britain is the second largest market for the Audi brand, its decision is rather strange.
Is it worth going? Yes, but you'll only really need about three to four hours to see everything. The great thing about the show is that London is on the doorstep to keep you entertained for the rest of the time.