Britain's first motor show—for horseless carriages—was held in
South Kensington in 1896 at the
Imperial Institute under the auspices of
Lawson's Motor Car Club. 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. {{cite web |url=https://www.motortrader.com/motor-trader-news/automotive-news/london-international-motor-show-to-launch-at-excel-london-in-2027-26-02-2026 ==Background==