London's Motor Show cancelled

The 2010 Motor Show has been cancelled as the industry struggles to survive through the recession.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said: "The economic downturn and the unprecedented challenges facing the industry both in the UK and around the world, have made it impossible for exhibitors to commit to a 2010 event."

The show was due to be held again at the ExCel exhibition centre in London's Docklands, to which it moved after years at the National Exhibition Centre near Birmingham, having moved there from Earl's Court in West London.

The SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt said: "The British International Motor Show is the UK's largest consumer exhibition, hugely popular with the public, and has been attracting increasing numbers of visitors over recent years, making the decision to cancel the 2010 Show an extremely difficult one. However, the global credit crunch has placed the automotive sector under unique pressure and has created a level of uncertainty that deters manufacturers from committing to large-scale, international events."

Speaking on behalf of International Motor Industry Events (imie), the organisers of the British International Motor Show, joint managing director Rob Mackenzie said: "Given the great strides that the Motor Show has taken since its return to London, we fully endorse the decision to postpone BIMS until market conditions will again permit us to deliver a world class event that truly showcases the UK industry."