A VISIT TO THE MOTOR SHOW AT THE NEC - FORTY YEARS AGO

12 November 2024

Were you one of the 696,183 visitors to the NEC four decades ago? A Toyota MR2 is just one of the delights you might have encountered on 20th of October 1984 at the Motor Show:

Car and dog

  1. Tickets cost £2.50 at weekends and £2 on weekdays.
  2. One notable absence from the show is the name of Morris – the Austin Montego saloon replaced the Ital saloon earlier in the year, and the Montego Countryman succeeded the Ital Estate.
  3. Also on the Austin-Rover stand was the second-generation Metro with a five-door option that, according to AR, represented “a giant step forward”.
  4. Triumph was another notable absence, as the Rover 200 SD3 replaced the Acclaim a few months previously.
  5. Jensen made a welcome return, and the starting price for the revived Interceptor was £40,000.
  6. Bristol was highlighting the Beaufort convertible for those attendees with understanding bank managers.
  7. Plus, the Toyota MR2 made its UK debut at the NEC, and its looks were a selling point in their own right, as was the promise of a 125mph+ top speed.
  8. The Reliant SS1 attracted a good deal of attention, partially because it looked so different to the long-established Scimitar GTE but mainly because it appeared to be a belated heir to the MGB and Triumph TR7. Sales were to commence in 1985 with a choice of two Ford engines – 1.3-litre and 1.6-litre.
  9. The Panther Solo was equally tempting, but sales were apparently not to begin until 1986. The company was already taking deposits of £500.
  10. The Jaguar display included the ETC XJS and its Le Mans car.
  11. Aston Martin Tickford said its Lagonda Limousine was the world’s most expensive production car at £100,000 - “pre-tax”.
  12. For the motorists whose priorities were “low price” and “a stereo radio/cassette player to listen to Radio 2”, Talbot could sell you a Solara Minx.
  13. Crowds gathered at the Ferrari stand to marvel at the Testarossa - yours for a mere £62,665.80.
  14. The Lotus Etna was, if anything, even more remarkable – a British-built mid-engine ‘supercar’ with a Perspex upper body and a claimed drag coefficient of 0.29. Car proclaimed: “The magnificent Giugiaro-designed Lotus V8 sets out to show the world that Hethel can build a world-beater. Buy it in 1988!”.
  15. Meanwhile, Melbros Car Panels offered a Jaguar XJ12 Limousine, extended by 32 inches, a bargain at just £80,000.
  16. For those visitors on a more restricted budget, there was the appealing-looking Skoda Rapid Cabriolet.
  17. Or, for the more practically-minded, there was the Suzuki Swift 1.3GS.
  18. A star of the Mercedes-Benz stand was the 190 E 2.3-16, which, not long before, had set world long-distance records.
  19. The GTE was the highlight of Vauxhall’s Astra Mk. 2 line-up.
  20. Ford, not to be outshone, had the Escort RS Turbo as the star of its display.
  21. Alfa Romeo introduced British drivers to the 90, one of the only cars in motoring history, with a briefcase as standard.
  22. Motor Sport, rather rudely, said the Saab 9000 Turbo “damages the company’s reputation for making ugly cars”.
  23. The Fiat Panda 4×4 caused quite a stir among drivers who associate off-road motoring with Land Rover products.
  24. £19,700 for the TVR 390SE appeared quite a bargain given its 150mph+ top speed.
  25. And after the NEC, why not relax with The Paul Daniels Magic Show, followed by Dynasty, on BBC1?

With thanks to Jon Coupland for his time and the permission to use the images in this blog.