Last week’s Autosport International Show kickstarted another motorsport season, but did new-look event deliver improvements promised by organisers?
In motorsport circles, the International Racing Car Show begins another new season, traced back to when the event was conceived by the British Racing and Sports Car Club and first opened 2nd – 9th January 1960 at Horticultural Old Hall London SW1. Subsequently the show moved to Olympia for several years then the Cunard Hotel Hammersmith and one year even a car ferry moored on the Thames! But for over 20-years the event has been based at the NEC Birmingham with great road, rail and air access for visitors.
Thursday and Friday cater for trade and industry visitors with Saturday and Sunday for the public. This year organisers promised: ‘A new look and feel to the show coupled with a commitment to deliver the ultimate visitor and trade experience’ and a headline theme of the 75th anniversary of Formula one’s world championship, celebrated with a stunning display of grand prix cars spanning that period (above).
Fans of Formula 1 were also treated to an appearance from the UK’s latest and youngest driver, Oliver Bearman, who officially opened the show Saturday and Sunday before the fledgling HAAS F1 driver was interviewed by SKY Sports commentator David Croft (above) on the main Autosport stage. Among other personalities subjecting themselves to cross examination were father and son duo Rob and Ricky Collard who became joint winners of the 2024 British GT Championship and 2022 BTCC champion Tom Ingram.
As usual the four capacious show halls held lots of specialist engineering companies and suppliers exhibiting latest technology which in terms of products and material quality moves inexorably forward each year and race/rally merchandise and models were plentifully available. Perhaps not unexpectedly, race simulators remained a magnetic attraction for aspiring race and rally drivers to set a time on iconic and far-flung global racing circuits or rally stages and Live Action was provided by petrol, electric and pedal powered steeds!
Prominent in the main hall was the national governing body Motorsport UK while rally enthusiasts were able to visit the Probite British Rally Championship podium display, also the Roger Albert Clark Club stand for details of this year’s edition of the popular biannual historic rally 20 – 24th November, starting from Carmarthen.
Close-by the British Motorsport Marshal’s Club display was manned by a happy group ready and willing to encourage new recruits, a sobering thought that motorsport would not function without such dedicated volunteers clad in orange Proban overalls!
Perhaps Autosport International doesn’t recapture the heady, pre-COVID days of the annual Watkins safety lecture which starred a stellar speaker alumnus including Sir Jackie Stewart, Max Mosley, Niki Lauda, Martin Brundle, Bernie Ecclestone, Sir Ron Dennis and Adrian Newey. This worthwhile sporting feature supported the Motorsport Safety Fund – now sadly defunct – and attracted a full-house of competitors, marshals and officials. Why not reinstate the lecture to create an inspired and creditable theme for Autosport International on show Friday?
So, was the show an improvement on the much-criticised 2024 version? The answer is slanted towards individual expectations which for most visitors will be ‘yes’, and they’ll already have 8 – 11 January in diaries for 2026 AI!
© Words & images by Ken Davies