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Certain things at certain times aren't just customary, they're obligatory and non-negotiable. Winter means Christmas, spring heralds the start of the lawnmower season, summer is holiday time and autumn is the traditional motor show period for us Brits.

18th January 2005

True, the organiser of the event, the Society of Motor Manufactures and Traders (SMMT), has tried to make it more appealing by moving it to the spring. But the truth is the change hasn't worked. Nor, I suspect, will a new domestic venue be the answer to the UK show's long-running and inexplicable catalogue of headaches and embarrassments.

I reckon car fans wanting to visit a glamorous motor exhibition in the autumn should forget the UK and the alternating events in Frankfurt and Paris, and head instead for the accessible Los Angeles expo. Until now, the bright, sun-drenched Californian extravaganza has clashed with the gloomy, sub-zero Detroit event in January. But from next year, the LA Motor Show will be held in November, which is a brilliant idea.

Firstly, manufacturers will be more likely to premiere new motors there, and secondly, the weather's great at that time of year - not unlike a British summer. The shopping isn't bad, either. And while getting and staying there isn't exactly quick, cheap and easy for many Brits, the same could be said of overpriced London or the comparatively dull-as-dishwater Birmingham, the traditional but regularly unsuccessful homes of the UK events.

Take my advice: start shopping around now for a cheap return flight to LA in late 2006. You may pay less for it than a long-distance rail ticket in Britain! Then, after touching down in LA, you can collect your rented Ferrari, cheaper American supercar, or even a Hummer. Also within spitting distance of LAX Airport are the famous resorts of Santa Monica, Malibu or Venice Beach, where you can have breakfast overlooking the ocean.
LA isn't just the ultimate car city, it's also one of the greatest places in the world for music, comedy, clubs, bars and restaurants. The show would be an ideal excuse for car fans to holiday in this amazing town - not something you could say about Birmingham. What's more, parking fees are rare and there's no congestion charge.
Despite all the other attractions, I still made it to the LA Convention Center for the show this year. And I'll definitely be back in November 2006, as I reckon it'll be one of the greatest motoring events on earth, alongside Tokyo, Detroit and Geneva.

As the SMMT is currently considering new venues for the British show, maybe it should team up with its LA counterpart to stage the best, most significant, cleverest event in the world. If Wimbledon football club can play in Milton Keynes and the airports of Middlesex, Sussex and Bedfordshire can cheekily call themselves London Heathrow, London Gatwick and London Luton, why can't the British exhibition stick to its traditional winter time frame, but be outrageously staged in Los Angeles? Considering parking, rail and refreshment costs at the UK-based event, the overall price of getting there may not be that different.

I don't know about you, but I reckon there could be a bright and exciting future for an LAUK Auto Show. Hopefully, I'll see you there next year!

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