Motor Show Visitor Numbers Up 14 Per Cent

The organisers of this summer’s British International Motor Show, sponsored by Zurich Connect, have announced that 472,300 people visited the ExCeL-based event – a 14 per cent increase on the 415,000 who came to the successful 2006 exhibition.

Throughout the 12-day event, car fans and motoring enthusiasts were treated to a feast of world vehicle premieres, concept cars and driving challenges, while families and children enjoyed a range of interactive events.

By far the biggest consumer exhibition in the UK, the Motor Show hosted 23 global debuts, a total of 600 cars and 60 vehicle manufacturers. The cars on display had an estimated value of over £37 million.

While one cannot argue with cold facts – and a 14 per cent increase is indeed impressive – it is interesting to compare different companies’ perceptions of the event. While the vast majority of the car manufacturers were delighted with the numbers and the interest shown, when T&A visited the event, a number of the tyre industry-related companies thought that attendance was down on previous Motor Shows. Perhaps this underlines the fact that, in the eyes of the public, tyres and other vehicle parts just cannot compete with the vehicles themselves and the Motor Show is exactly what the name suggests.