It was the most hyped British Motorshow in history and featured more activities than ever before.
Now the doors have closed, Stuart Milne looks back to see whether the new format worked, or if the fat lady has finally sung.
I had mixed feelings about the British Motorshow returning to London. Despite living in the Capital, I've always felt its spiritual home was in the Midlands - the heartland of British manufacturing.
For some ex-MG Rover workers I spoke to, it was a kick in the teeth.
But with an open mind, I went to the show with hundreds of other journos, keen to see how the organisers were going to save the UK's biggest motor show.
And despite enduring the chaos of driving and parking in London, I think the show was the best for a long time.
The UK's car-buying public agreed, if the attendance figures are anything to go by. More than 420,000 visitors walked through the doors of London's ExCeL - 23 per cent more than the last show in 2004.
The manufacturers we spoke to thought the show was a success, and there was plenty of praise for Auto Trader's stand, which shifted a staggering 10,000 goodie bags over the ten public days.
But not everybody agreed. David Whitley wrote to us to say: "why have vehicles you can't touch or feel. Are they really more important than the people?
"There was no Porsche, Maserati, Ferrari, Volkswagen, Audi or Bentley. Only BMW understood the concept of a motor show, with a great stand and knowledgeable staff."
The lack of some top-end car makers was a shame, but it gave our thriving British sportscar makers a chance to shine. Ariel, Caparo, Connaught and Toniq were just a handful exhibiting their latest models.
Here's some of our motor show highlights…
Biggest launch
There were plenty of launches, but the one we were waiting for was the sensational Jaguar XKR. We love the way the 'standard' XK looks and goes, but the new supercharged version adds bundles of aggression - and the bite to match its bark. It might cost £60,000, but it’s the most beautiful Jag since the E-Type.
Most important debut
The Vauxhall Corsa. It's not the sexiest car launch, but more will find homes than an expensive and exotic coupe or baby 4x4. It’s a hugely important car for Vauxhall and with the supermini market exploding in size and quality; the Corsa has to be a hit. You'll have to wait for us to get behind the wheel of one, but from the opportunity we had to check out the pint-sized wonder, it looks excellent.
Most shameless marketing ploy
Without doubt, Mazda came up with a fantastically badly-timed idea to promote its new MX-5 with a folding roof. In the 35 degree heat, a recorded weather forecast beamed from a huge video wall, followed by an impromptu rainstorm.
Best celebrity
Vernon Kay made no attempt to hide himself from the gaggle of quote-hungry hacks after donning a bright white shirt and trousers. Looking more like a refugee from a surf shack than a visitor to a motor show, the presenter was more than happy to face our barrage of questions which you'll read about in the coming weeks.
Finest wool-based supercar
There's only one candidate for this (no, really? - ed). Art student Lauren Porter spent ten months and 12 miles of wool to knit this Ferrari Testarossa/F355 hybrid. The undergraduate from Bath Spa uni even hand embroidered the Prancing Horse badge.
Most spotlights in a supporting role
Ford might have committed £1 billion to combat global warming, but their stand was just about the hottest place in London. Endless rows of lights beamed down on Ford bosses as they talked about their green cars. Unfortunately, the tropical heat didn't do much for the full-sized Focus CC ice-sculpture…
