London's Regent Street gets its own auto show

(Regent Street Motor Show)

The field of auto shows vying to fill the gap left by the demise of the British Motor Show got another contender last week, with the announcement that London's famous Regent Street is to hold a 'motoring spectacular' of its own.

The inaugural Regent Street Motor Show, set for November 5, will see 300 iconic cars displayed on the busy London thoroughfare, the home of luxury high-street brands and tourist attractions such as Hamleys Toy Store and Piccadilly Circus.

Vehicles from the 19th, 20th and 21th centuries will be on display, organizers confirmed September 15, with a concours d'elegance showcasing around 100 veteran cars with drivers and passengers in period costume.

The event has been timed to coincide with the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, a convoy of 500 classic vehicles which will set off for the southern British city of Brighton from the capital on November 6.

For the second year, a convoy of decidedly modern, fuel-efficient vehicles will be passing through too as part of the Brighton to London RAC Future Car Challenge.

Organizers predict that the free event's impressive location is likely to lead to some stellar attendance figures, with some 250,000 visitors expected to be entertained during the event.

Put into perspective, that's nearly three times the number that showed up on the first day of the enormous North American International Auto Show in Detroit earlier this year - suggesting London may still have an auto show future yet.

http://www.regentstreetmotorshow.com/