London Motor Show

LesD

Has anyone been? I went yesterday and was shocked at how poor it is!

Then I realised why...ExCel only has 65,000 m2 space compared to the NEC at over 200,000 m2. Even the main halls at the NEC give 85,000 m2.

Why on earth did they move it?

Yesterday, it looked like the decision has mis-fired. The place was nearly deserted in the evening. Apparently, it had been no better during the day. They're all hoping for a busier weekend!

The outside areas, apart from the Land Rover Experience, all seemed very amateur. Lots of cones and tents!

...and, as for the food prices!!!!! Chinese soup, main course, rice and a beer - £18.30!!!!!

Now I know why I live in Brum and not London!!!

burbs_2

LesD wrote:

Has anyone been? I went yesterday and was shocked at how poor it is!

Then I realised why...ExCel only has 65,000 m2 space compared to the NEC at over 200,000 m2. Even the main halls at the NEC give 85,000 m2.

Why on earth did they move it?

Yesterday, it looked like the decision has mis-fired. The place was nearly deserted in the evening. Apparently, it had been no better during the day. They're all hoping for a busier weekend!

The outside areas, apart from the Land Rover Experience, all seemed very amateur. Lots of cones and tents!

...and, as for the food prices!!!!! Chinese soup, main course, rice and a beer - £18.30!!!!!

Now I know why I live in Brum and not London!!!

Im going up next weekend for business reasons but not sure if im going to bother now to be honest. I have heard nothing but bad things about it to be honest.

A friend went up on the preview night and he was disgusted. It was rammed full of people and there was no airconditioning. He also approached a few stands as he is looking for another car. When he approached the BMW stand he was basically told to go away and waste someone else's time. The same happened to him at the Aston Martin stand. He is only 23 and obviously the salesmen dont have time for the younger generation. Problem is he runs his own business and currently drives a Ferrari Spider so their loss.

I heard a couple of good things, one was the Mazda Zoom Zoom challenge. Still really unsure though.

david29dpo

like most things these days, a rip-off. birmingham got greedy so it moved to london. how london can rip you off instead!

Quinny_2

One reason why it should be held in the North.:p

Ken.

nej

I really enjoyed it. It was a little hot inside, but not unbearable or anything.

And of course Aston Martin are going to turn away a 23-year old. They probably get 10,000 of them a day asking for a look at their car.

The only bad thing was the food prices, but I did expect them to be bad so took some sandwiches.

rdwarr

nej wrote:

And of course Aston Martin are going to turn away a 23-year old. They probably get 10,000 of them a day asking for a look at their car.

Quite right. Fancy somebody going to a Motor Show and expecting to look at a car :rolleyes:

burbs_2

nej wrote:

I really enjoyed it. It was a little hot inside, but not unbearable or anything.

And of course Aston Martin are going to turn away a 23-year old. They probably get 10,000 of them a day asking for a look at their car.

The only bad thing was the food prices, but I did expect them to be bad so took some sandwiches.

What gives them the right to turn away a 23 year old who wants to look at a car? If they dont want to talk to people then they shouldnt be exhibiting at a Motor Show. The problem is that nowadays people at this age can afford to spend more on cars, i should know as i am dealer. The snooty attitude of companies such as Aston loses them sales.

What age are they allowed to take prospective buyers seriously then?

nej

You're missing the point. They could look at the car. What they couldn't do was sit in it, break the switches, scratch the paintwork with rucksacks etc.

Most people cannot buy these cars. Probably 0.0001% of attendees could actually buy one. By putting up a barrier around the stand they help maintain the exclusivity of it all. It helps maintain the dream.

If you want to buy an Aston Martin, going to a motor show is not the way to do it. You would goto a showroom (if they have them?), or to their HQ. I'm sure you would be treated very well there.

As for the age thing, are you being serious? There's not exactly hundreds of 23-yr olds who could afford a £100,000 car in the country. And for what gives them the right? Well, the fact that they own the car, and paid for the stand. They don't want the car being mobbed by thousands of people at a time. By putting up the barrier people can actually see it. I'd rather see an entire car gleaming under the lights than see about a square centimeter of it, the rest being buried in bodies 6-deep.

The snooty attitude probably gains them sales. You know you are onto something exclusive if you are ever lucky enough to afford one. The people on the stand did let people in to see it, but they were undoubtably judging people. That may be unfair, but it's the way of the world.

burbs_2

Not at all, you are missing the point. I never said that the friend in question had wanted to sit in the car, far from it. He drives a Ferrari so there is no need for him to sit in a display car at the motor show. He wanted to speak to them and arrange to test drive the vehicle nearer to home, not a big deal.

The snooty attitude of Aston Martin does not gain them sales, how can it. The changing attitudes of Ferrari, Lotus, Lambo etc gains them sales. Of course there are younger people who can afford to drive these cars nowadays. I didnt say there were hundreds of them but i know of 4 who range from 23-26 driving vehicles worth in excess of £100,000.

As for not going to the motor show if you wanted to purchase an Aston Martin, why not? This is where you can see the newest models, you can chat to their most experienced salesmen and take away information. Not only this but you can view a whole range of dealers wares in a single day. Brilliant idea.

Aston Martin and BMW are the only 2 dealers that still have this up themselves attitude and they need to change it.

nej

You know 4 people who can afford an Aston? I need better friends!

As I said it's the way of the world, from experience the salespeople who know he is unlikely to afford one, so why waste the time when the 45-yr old overweight gentleman with the trophy wife is next in line...

And as for buying at a motorshow, I agree it's a great place to visit lots of cars under one roof, but I don't think I'd get the kind of indvidual attention you would from a showroom. Thousands of people, lots of noise, no test drive etc is not a great environment for it really. A quiet dealership is a more appopriate place.

Anyway, I think we'll have to agree to disagree a bit on this one matey!

burbs_2

nej wrote:

You know 4 people who can afford an Aston? I need better friends!

As I said it's the way of the world, from experience the salespeople who know he is unlikely to afford one, so why waste the time when the 45-yr old overweight gentleman with the trophy wife is next in line...

And as for buying at a motorshow, I agree it's a great place to visit lots of cars under one roof, but I don't think I'd get the kind of indvidual attention you would from a showroom. Thousands of people, lots of noise, no test drive etc is not a great environment for it really. A quiet dealership is a more appopriate place.

Anyway, I think we'll have to agree to disagree a bit on this one matey!

Yes definatly have to agree to disagree, especially when you are fighting a losing battle!!

Being a sports and performance car dealer i know a few people who would rather spend money on motors than anything else.

There are test drives avaliable at the motor show, only for certain vehicles e.g. Mitsi's and Mazda etc, 2 mile track in fact.