What are your oldest Motor-Show memories?
Discussion
Earl's Court 1971 was my first memory of a proper Motor Show, and I would have just turned 5!
Remember the Citroen stand as my dad was looking at getting a newly released GS, and the sales guys let the little kid sit in an SM as the grown-up was a serious buyer.
The smell of the cars, as you could sit in virtually all of them in those days (apart from the expensive ones, natch) was fantastic, together with all the brochures, stickers, balloons, badges and carrier bags you'd collect by walking round. Something that seemed to happen less and less over the years after that.
Fell in love with sitting in a BMW 1602 for some reason too, but can't remember too many exotics form that year, probably understandable given my age, but never forgot the SM.
How about you?
Remember the Citroen stand as my dad was looking at getting a newly released GS, and the sales guys let the little kid sit in an SM as the grown-up was a serious buyer.
The smell of the cars, as you could sit in virtually all of them in those days (apart from the expensive ones, natch) was fantastic, together with all the brochures, stickers, balloons, badges and carrier bags you'd collect by walking round. Something that seemed to happen less and less over the years after that.
Fell in love with sitting in a BMW 1602 for some reason too, but can't remember too many exotics form that year, probably understandable given my age, but never forgot the SM.
How about you?
Early 80's Birmingham Motorshow. Travelled with my dad and a friend and his dad in his new Citroen BX 16RS (much quicker than dads 1.3 Sierra).
Pat Roach (Bomber from auf wiedersehen Pet) was standing through the sunroof of a Lada Riva signing paper hats. Lada salesman asked my brother if he wanted a signed cap. Brother said yes so Lada salesman signed one for him! How bizarre but still tickles me today.
Also the launch of the "White Hot" Escort RS Turbo.
Pat Roach (Bomber from auf wiedersehen Pet) was standing through the sunroof of a Lada Riva signing paper hats. Lada salesman asked my brother if he wanted a signed cap. Brother said yes so Lada salesman signed one for him! How bizarre but still tickles me today.
Also the launch of the "White Hot" Escort RS Turbo.
vixen1700 said:
The smell of the cars, as you could sit in virtually all of them in those days (apart from the expensive ones, natch) was fantastic, together with all the brochures, stickers, balloons, badges and carrier bags you'd collect by walking round. Something that seemed to happen less and less over the years after that.
I was a bit older when I went to my first, 11 or 12 so must have been the '74 or '75 Earls Court Motor Show.
A bit sad to see recently on the TV news, that it's very likely that Earls Court will get demolished soon after the 2012 Olympics to make way for a huge residential development
thole these days unfortunately. 1993 Scottish Motor Show.
They had a Jaguar XJ220 facing a McLaren F1 in the entrance, and Vauxhall had just released the Corsa, with the supermodel adverts. I remember thinking the Corsa & Calibra looked like the coolest cars ever made at the time. I still think the Calibra looks pretty neat.
They had a Jaguar XJ220 facing a McLaren F1 in the entrance, and Vauxhall had just released the Corsa, with the supermodel adverts. I remember thinking the Corsa & Calibra looked like the coolest cars ever made at the time. I still think the Calibra looks pretty neat.
Just posted this in the LM002 thread..
I remember seeing a red LM at the Earls Court motor show. Dad was there to look at what Ford were doing I think, but took me round all of the exotic stuff as well and I was under the spell.
The LM was roped off so you could look but not touch. There must have been a couple of stand models there as I was lucky enough to be invited to cross the rope with the blonde and sit in the car with her.
I clearly remember two thing: the LM was flippin huge inside and that the lady who took me onto the stand smelled nice and I liked her holding my hand.
Pivotal day for a young me, that was - the sudden and vivid awareness that the world contained cool cars and women
[/quote]
I remember seeing a red LM at the Earls Court motor show. Dad was there to look at what Ford were doing I think, but took me round all of the exotic stuff as well and I was under the spell.
The LM was roped off so you could look but not touch. There must have been a couple of stand models there as I was lucky enough to be invited to cross the rope with the blonde and sit in the car with her.
I clearly remember two thing: the LM was flippin huge inside and that the lady who took me onto the stand smelled nice and I liked her holding my hand.
Pivotal day for a young me, that was - the sudden and vivid awareness that the world contained cool cars and women
[/quote]
edo said:
I remember going with my dad to the NEC, early eighties - Ferrari stand and TVR stand stood out IIRC.
I do remember the TVR stand from the '72 Earl's Court show, the logo and the low slung shapes seemed 'exotic' to me. Didn't realise they were made in a shed in Blackpool at that point. 
My first motor show was the London motor show, probably around 1997, when I was 7. I went with my dad in his 911.
One memory which springs to mind was going to the Porsche exhibit, but it had a queue which wasn't moving. The guy monitoring the line allowed us to skip the queue because we were Porsche owners, at 7 years old this felt like the coolest thing in the world.
I also remember seeing some kind of solar panelled car, being dubbed as the 'future of cars'.
One memory which springs to mind was going to the Porsche exhibit, but it had a queue which wasn't moving. The guy monitoring the line allowed us to skip the queue because we were Porsche owners, at 7 years old this felt like the coolest thing in the world.
I also remember seeing some kind of solar panelled car, being dubbed as the 'future of cars'.
Used to go every year with Scouts to the NEC. Must have been in the early years as I'm 46 now!
(Just looked on Wiki and the first NEC show was 1978 when I was 13)
I remember the motorway was being used as an overflow carpark and getting a shuttle bus.
Can't remember specific cars but used to come back with loads of carrier bags full of posters and leaflets.
This from the Telegraph...
"1978 The British International Motor Show, as it was now pompously titled, was itself the innovator when, for the first time since 1905, the country's official industry showcase shunned the capital in favour of its manufacturing heartland. This show was the first staged at the new and spacious National Exhibition Centre near Birmingham and an arrestingly beautiful, Pininfarina interpretation of the Jaguar XJ-S was specially created as its centrepiece.
The radical up-sticks was rewarded by a gate of 913,000 - the largest ever at any British motor show - and those visitors fell upon the array of new British models. The Car of the Year, the Chrysler Horizon, made the biggest splash, then there were the Aston Martin V8 Volante and TVR 3000S convertibles. The Vauxhall Cavalier Sportshatch and Ford Capri III made waves, too."
913,000! No wonder we had to park on the motorway!
(Just looked on Wiki and the first NEC show was 1978 when I was 13)
I remember the motorway was being used as an overflow carpark and getting a shuttle bus.
Can't remember specific cars but used to come back with loads of carrier bags full of posters and leaflets.
This from the Telegraph...
"1978 The British International Motor Show, as it was now pompously titled, was itself the innovator when, for the first time since 1905, the country's official industry showcase shunned the capital in favour of its manufacturing heartland. This show was the first staged at the new and spacious National Exhibition Centre near Birmingham and an arrestingly beautiful, Pininfarina interpretation of the Jaguar XJ-S was specially created as its centrepiece.
The radical up-sticks was rewarded by a gate of 913,000 - the largest ever at any British motor show - and those visitors fell upon the array of new British models. The Car of the Year, the Chrysler Horizon, made the biggest splash, then there were the Aston Martin V8 Volante and TVR 3000S convertibles. The Vauxhall Cavalier Sportshatch and Ford Capri III made waves, too."
913,000! No wonder we had to park on the motorway!
The NEC with my Grandad and an Uncle. I really cannot remember what year it was but I can't have been more than 9 years old, which means it was pre 1991.
Travelled down from Catterick to my Uncle's house in Sheffield in my Grandads black cab before changing into my Uncle's green Vauxhall Viva!
The one thing that stands out the most in my memory is having a sit in the drivers seat of.....
....a white Vauxhall Nova! It was a special edition Spin model
Travelled down from Catterick to my Uncle's house in Sheffield in my Grandads black cab before changing into my Uncle's green Vauxhall Viva!
The one thing that stands out the most in my memory is having a sit in the drivers seat of.....
....a white Vauxhall Nova! It was a special edition Spin model
Went to the NEC around about 1995ish, which would have made me 11. I was sat in the drivers seat of the new Jaguar XK8 convertible, lady on the stand came over to my mum and said I might have to get out because Sir Cliff Richard was coming to sit in it and wanted to see the roof go up. He told her not to worry, he'd sit in the passenger seat. Sat down and asked me what I thought of the car, whilst loads of photographers were flashing away. My mum was all excited, phoning up my dad to tell him. I had absolutely no idea what she was banging on about, or who this Cliff bloke was.
Wonder if he ever bought one.
Wonder if he ever bought one.
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