I’m back now from what was a flying, but very enjoyable, visit to the Frankfurt Motor Show and I have to say I returned to the UK feeling pretty upbeat about the motor industry as a whole.

The scale of the Frankfurt Motor Show is hard to take in, it is simply vast.  Not only in terms of the stands used by the manufacturers but the number of people attending the show.  I’ve been to plenty of motor shows in the UK before but this was something else.  I was speaking with a local girl about the number of visitors, thinking perhaps the fact it was the weekend was bringing all these people here, but no, it’s like that every day she told me.

The reason I feel upbeat about the whole industry is because all these visitors were really taking an interest in the cars, and not only the exotica we rarely see (and even more rarely buy).  Yes the area around the Ferrari stand was about 8 people deep – though of course only the chosen few are allowed anywhere near the cars – but regular cars were drawing lots of attention too.I know how this sounds, but believe me it’s true – the Vauxhall stand was one of the busiest I saw. 

The new Astra was clearly drawing the crowds, and with good reason I think.  The publicity surrounding the World Premiere of the car brought people to the stand and the attention to detail that has gone into it kept them there.

I’m from the North West of England, not that far from Ellesmere Port where the new Astra is built, and I was proud of what the guys at the plant have achieved, as are all at Vauxhall from what they were saying to me.

[MotorTorque]