Famous, Iconic And Classic Cars Gear Up For British Motor Show's '100 Years Of Cars'

LONDON - July 14, 2006: Two hundred and fifty famous, historic and futuristic cars are all revved-up and ready to take part in London’s first car parade through London this Sunday 16 July. Racing driver and face of The British International Motor Show, Jodie Kidd, will wave the flag and set the parade on its way at 2.30pm on Sunday afternoon.

The parade celebrates our love affair with cars as well as The British International Motor Show’s return to London after thirty years.

Amazing driving facts, did you know......?

• Karl Benz invented the first petrol-driven motor car in 1888

• In the 1890s, the law stated that all cars had to have a crew of three which included someone to walk in front with a red flag as a warning to pedestrians, other traffic and frightened horses

• The first driving licence was introduced in 1903 and cost 5 shillings (25p) • The first-ever number plate was registered in 1903 and read ‘A1’

• Driving tests were made compulsory in 1935 – until then no driving test was required and licences were granted on request

• Driving tests were suspended during the Second World War (1939-1945)

• Despite the weather, the UK sells roughly three times more convertible cars than either France or Italy

• At 7.4 years, cars in Greater London are older than the national average which is 6.8. Cheshire has the youngest cars at 5.6 years old while the Isle of Wight has the oldest at 8.5

• In the world of cars, silver is worth more than gold. In fact silver is the most popular colour, with silver cars selling better than any other colour in the second-hand market

• In 2005, 1.3m satellite navigation systems were bought showing a 1500% increase in just 4 years!

• Cars change hands on average once every four years

• New car CO2 emissions have fallen 11% since 1997

Crowds of over 100,000 are expected to line the streets of London to watch the star studded parade of famous, historic and futuristic cars travel through the city this Sunday 16 July. The procession will feature iconic and classic cars from every decade of the last 100 years as well as vehicles from the big and small screen.

This unique celebration of the car will see around vehicles, estimated to be worth in excess of £10 million, strutting their stuff through the streets of central London. Famous cars taking part include Austin Powers’ Shaguar, Judge Dredd’s police car, Scooby Doo’s van and Lara Croft’s Tomb Raider Land Rover.

Cruising alongside these star cars will be everything from vintage Ford model Ts, prestigious luxury Rolls-Royces and Bentleys through to sporty British cars such as Aston Martin and Lotus. Interspersed in the parade will be vintage London taxis, a selection of World War Two vehicles, as well as the Royal Air Force marching band and cheerleaders.

Interspersed in the parade will be vintage London taxis, a selection of World War Two vehicles, as well as the Royal Air Force marching band and cheerleaders.

Commenting on the Car Parade, Kirsty Adams from The British International Motor Show said, “This is the first time London has seen a celebration of the automobile which is such an essential part of our lives. There is so much excitement about The British International Motor Show’s return to London and this parade will mark the start of an incredible couple of weeks in the British motoring calendar.”

The British International Motor Show, in partnership with Lloyds TSB Insurance, opens to the public from 20-30 July at ExCeL London. It is a spectacular two-week celebration of cars and motoring, bursting with brand new, exciting features with something for everyone from car enthusiasts to families.

All the biggest brand names in motoring will be there along with world-first launches, celebrity appearances, a super-car paddock, the Dock Side Story Motor Theatre, the Dock Rock live music festival and much more. Cars from the 100 Years of Cars parade will also be making an appearance at the Show.

With the show open late most evenings, you can also dine and drink al fresco in the Waterside Cafés, relax and soak up the atmosphere and take in the exciting powerboat and jet-ski action on the water.

Tickets are on sale now, starting at just £8. For more information about the show or to book tickets visit www.britishmotorshow.co.uk or call 0870 060 0245.

Manufacturers participating in the parade are: Aston Martin, Bentley, BMW, Carver, Daihatsu, Ford, Honda, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lexus, Lotus, Maybach, Mazda, Mercedes, Peugeot, Rolls-Royce, Toyota and Vauxhall.