Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, NEC Birmingham 2026
Seven halls. 3,000 classics.
About This Event
This is the big one. The Classic Motor Show takes over seven halls of the NEC for three days in November, with more than 3,000 cars and bikes spread over 16 football pitches' worth of floor. You will not see it all in a day, and your feet will tell you so.
The theme for 2026 is Débutant. All 320 clubs were challenged to bring at least one car that has never been shown here before, and the organisers say that adds up to the most first-timers the show has ever had. So if you think you saw it all last year, you did not.
Then there is the temptation. Iconic Auctioneers is selling more than 600 vehicles worth over £16m in Hall 2, including three of Jeremy Clarkson's own cars, and elsewhere you will find more than 450 traders, a dealer hall and the UK's biggest indoor autojumble. Set a budget before you go in. You will ignore it, but it is good to have one.
What to see
The Débutants
Maserati marks 100 years of racing with a 4CS, a 300S, a 450S and the new MCXtrema. The TVR Tuscan S from Looney Tunes: Back in Action brings its wings and jet engines along, and the oldest surviving Jaguar XJ40 is a working fire tender that lights up on the stand.
Birthdays all round
The Golf GTI and the Ford Fiesta both turn 50 and the Cortina Mk2 turns 60. The Mk1 Golf club has the oldest known GTI, built in June 1976, and the Jaguar club has brought two XJ220s to keep the 30-year-old XK8 company.
The Super Sale
Iconic Auctioneers' biggest sale yet runs through Saturday and Sunday in Hall 2. Up for grabs are a BMW M1, a Countach signed by Marcello Gandini and the Reliant van from Only Fools and Horses. Clarkson's Lancia, Alfa and Lincoln from The Grand Tour go with no reserve.
YouTube Village
New for 2026. JayEmm on Cars, Tasty Classics, idriveaclassic, Garage of Luke and Driven by Meg turn up in person with the cars from the videos. Look out for the Austin A40 Farina that Tasty Classics rescued and the Volvo 940 Meg bought for £100 to keep it from the scrapyard.
Best in show
The Meguiar's Club Showcase gathers the year's club concours winners for one trophy. The field includes a Ferrari 328 GTB, an MX-5 with its original dealer floor mats and a Ford Edsel whose owner came to last year's show for a look round and went home owning it.
On stage
Mike Brewer is in the Meet the Experts Theatre in Hall 5 on all three days, joined by faces from Bangers & Cash, Flipping Bangers and Dream Car Fixers. The new Hall of Fame names are revealed at noon on Friday, and live podcasts record in Hall 3.
Spares and jumble
More than 450 traders and the UK's biggest indoor autojumble, so this is the place to hunt down that one elusive part. If you are not sure how to fit it, the Restoration Workshop has advice from people who do this for a living.
Two wheels
The Classic Motorbike Showcase and Bike Jumble cover decades of bikes, and Sunday's Iconic Motorcycle Sale has 250 lots. They include Mike Hailwood's 1966 Honda RC173 and the Honda SP-1 Joey Dunlop rode to win the 2000 Formula 1 TT.
Event Details
Date and Time
2026, to 2026,
Friday 10am to 6pm, Saturday 9am to 6pm, Sunday 9am to 5pm.
Location
NEC Birmingham, North Avenue, Marston Green, Birmingham, B40 1NT
Getting there
Birmingham International station is a few minutes' walk from the halls, and the NEC sits right by the M42. The NEC runs the car parks: £14.95 if you book ahead, £19.95 on the day, with shuttle buses to the halls. From Birmingham Airport it is a short monorail ride.
Price
Advance adult tickets are £47.20 on Friday, £42.20 on Saturday and £40.20 on Sunday, including the £2.95 booking fee. Children aged 5 to 15 start at £27.25, under-5s go free with a paying adult, and family tickets for two adults and up to three children start at £86.70. A three-day pass is £89.20. Advance sales end at midnight on Thursday 12 November, and the door price is up to £10 more.