The British International Motor Show was an annual (bi-biennial after 1976) motor show held by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) between 1903 and 2008 in England. The show was relaunched in 2016 and ran until 2019. The event will return on 26th-28th February 2027 at Excel, London.
History Britain's first motor showThe Times 14 November 1905 page 7—for horseless carriages—was held in South Kensington in 1896 at the Imperial Institute under the auspices of Lawson's Motor Car Club.Horseless Carriages The Times 17 February 1896 page 7
The first British Motor Show organised by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) was held at The Crystal Palace, London in 1903, the same year that the speed limit was raised from to by the Motor Car Act 1903 and two years before the formation of The AA.
In 1905, it moved to Olympia London where it was held for the next 32 years before moving to the Earls Court Exhibition Centre from 1937 until 1976, except for the period of World War II during which time there were no shows.
Initially held in London at The Crystal Palace, Olympia London and then the Earls Court Exhibition Centre, it moved to the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham in 1978, where it stayed until 2004. The International motorshow alternated with the London Motorfair which continued in Earl's Court from 1977 to 1999
The SMMT announced in 1975 that in future that the show would alternate locations with Birmingham and from 1978 until 2004, it was held every second year at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham, with the 2004 event being held in May, rather than the traditional October, to avoid a clash with the Paris Motor Show.
The July 2006 and July 2008 shows were held at ExCeL London.
The motorshow was held at ExCeL London in 2006 and 2008. The 2010 and 2012 events were cancelled due to the Great Recession, and there was no 2014 show. The last British International Motor Show in the UK was 2008, and after the 2012 cancellation, ended the involvement of the SMMT. The 2010 and 2012 shows were cancelled due to the Great Recession.
With the absence of an international show in England, between 2016 and 2019, there were annual motor shows held under the London Motor Show banner held in Battersea Park for the first two years and moved to Excel for 2019. The 2020 show was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event will return on 26th-28th February 2027 at Excel, London under the banner London International Motor Show The London International Motor Show (LIMS) is an automotive and mobility exhibition held at ExCeL London, in the Royal Docks, London. The inaugural edition is scheduled to take place from 26 to 28 February 2027.
Background London has hosted major motor shows since the early twentieth century, most notably the British International Motor Show, which ran under various names from 1903 until 2008, and later the London Motor Show, which operated from 2016 to 2019 before being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The London International Motor Show represents the return of a major international automotive showcase to the capital, some eight years after the final London Motor Show in 2019.
Venue The show takes place at ExCeL London, situated in the Royal Docks area of east London, close to London City Airport and with direct transport links to central London. The venue's international connectivity is considered central to attracting global exhibitors, media, and visitors.
Format and content The 2027 show is designed to combine elements of a traditional motor show with modern, interactive features. Visitors will have the opportunity to view production cars and concept models from major manufacturers, attend live demonstrations, and book test drives.
A central theme of the inaugural edition is the automotive industry's shift from internal combustion engines towards electrified powertrains, with exhibitors showcasing hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery-electric models alongside innovations in software, connectivity, and mobility services.
Writing in Auto Express, columnist Mike Rutherford compared the event favourably to the Geneva Motor Show, describing it as filling a significant gap in the European motor show calendar and welcoming the investment made by the show's organisers.
The show has also attracted international press coverage, with reports published in Italian, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Brazilian automotive media.
Co-located events The London International Motor Show takes place alongside two other automotive events at ExCeL London during the same dates: Motorsport Expo, described by organisers as the UK's largest dedicated motorsport exhibition, and Car Culture UK, focused on modified and aftermarket vehicles. The combined format is intended to broaden the overall audience and increase footfall across all three events.
Industry reception Coverage from specialist automotive trade publications including Motor Trader and Motor Trade News highlighted the show's lead-generation potential for manufacturers, noting that the event is positioned to attract fleet buyers and business decision-makers alongside general consumers.
The show has also been noted in the exhibition industry press, with Exhibition News covering the broader programme of three co-located motoring events at ExCeL as a significant boost to the venue's 2027 calendar.
Historical context for the show has been documented by automotive heritage sources including ConceptCarz.
See also British International Motor Show London Motorfair ExCeL London Geneva Motor Show
External links Official website
Locations Earls Court The cars listed are those announced in the late summer lead up to the show or during it. Year Show New cars announced for this show Photo194827 October – 6 November Earls Court, London
Attendance 562,954 highest previous attendance 315,000194928 September to 8 October 34th International Motor Show,Earls CourtDisplay advertisement Gloucestershire Echo 24 September 1949 page 5195018 October 1950 – 28 October 195117 October 1951 – 27 October Earls Court, London.attendance was down sharply (375,000 from 480,000) because there were few new models and polling day for the General Election fell in the middle of the Show period. The choice models were export-only.195222 October – 1 November Earls Court, London 37th International Motor Exhibition
Attendance 462,538, plus about 4,000 from overseas who entered free of charge195321 to 31 October Earls Court, London38th International Motor Exhibition
For the first time since 1938, foreign exhibitors were present, including Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen
Attendance 612,953195420 to 30 October Earls Court, London39th International Motor Exhibition Jowett and Lea-Francis do not appear
New exhibitors Skoda and DKW
New models introduced during the year by Standard, Morris, Singer, Austin, Rootes, Vauxhall, Bentley, and Rolls-Royce
Attendance 523,586195519 to 29 October Earls Court, London40th International Motor Exhibition
Exhibitors: UK 30 USA & Canada 17 France 6 Germany 6 Italy 3 Czechoslovakia 1
Attendance 516,811, including overseas visitors 13,750195617 October 1956 – 27 October Earls Court, London41st International Motor Exhibition
Exhibitors: UK 31 USA & Canada 16 France 6 Germany 6 Italy 3 Czechoslovakia 1 Sweden 1
Orders taken at the Motor Show enabled Austin to return to a five-day working week
Attendance numbers were not reported195716 October 1957 – 26 October Earls Court, London42nd International Motor Exhibition195822 October – 1 November Earls Court, London43rd International Motor Exhibition
Neither Allard nor Lagonda booked stands at the show
Exhibitors: UK 33 USA & Canada 14 France 7 Germany 7 Italy 4 Czechoslovakia 1 Sweden 1 Holland 1
Attendance 534,422195921–31 October Earls Court, London.
Opened by Prime Minister Harold Macmillan.
Visitors to the Motor Show are asked by Scotland Yard to leave their cars at home
Attendance: paid 560,310 overseas visitors another 19,707196019 to 29 October Earls Court, London Attendance: 428,000 reported 12 months later196118 to 28 October Earls Court, London46th International Motor Show
The Zagato coachwork stand exhibits a Mini-Minor named Gatto beside a Bristol and an Aston Martin
Attendance: 578,034 and a further 20,000+ overseas visitors Year Show New cars announced for this show Photo196217 to 27 October Earls Court, London47th International Motor Show Attendance: 474,086 and 21,199 more from overseas. It was noted the paid attendance was 103,948 less than last year196316 to 26 October 48th International Motor ShowEarls Court, London
Paid attendance believed to be in excess of 550,000 people.1964October 1964 Earls Court, London _ October 1964196520–30 October Earls Court, London 196619–29 October Earls Court, London196718–28 October Earls Court, London196816 October 1968 – 26 October 1968 Earls Court, LondonThe opening ceremony was performed by Princess Alexandra.196915 to 25 October Earls Court, London In September, Earls Court Exhibition workers threatened to strike. The day the show opened, two UK major manufacturers had assembly lines at a standstill.197014 to 24 October Earls Court, London 55th International Motor Show
British makes on display: 28 Foreign makes on display: 46 including a sales team from Russia
Four hundred manufacturers of cars, components and accessories
There are girls dressed as rabbits, sailors, and as Nell Gwynn, and girls in "extremely inadequate" chain mail
It was agreed that Earls Court was no longer an adequate venue197119–30 October 1971 Earls Court, London197218–28 October Earls Court, London1973October 1973 Earls Court, London Seventieth show197416–26 October Earls Court, London1975October 1975 Earls Court, London1976October 1976 Earls Court, London Widely publicised as the last international show at Earls Court
67 makes from 16 countries
More diesel cars displayed than ever before
Birmingham Year Show New cars announced for this show Photo1978The International Motor Show made its first appearance at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, and attracted record crowds of 908,194. 1980The International Motor Show returned to the National Exhibition Centre in 1980 with an additional exhibition hall. The Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was driven to the show in the new Austin Metro.Austin Mini Metro World premiere Fiat Panda Honda Quintet Mazda 323 Talbot Tagora TVR Tasmin Concept Cars Citroën Karin Daihatsu Charade electric