Once again the Donington 4×4 show kicked off the beginning of the show season. The first show of the year Donington has long proved to be a popular and successful show, and being held indoor makes it a good proposition, no matter what the weather outside.
The key to the apparent success of this show may lie in the fact that it’s a general 4WD show, and not biased toward any one brand. This proves to be advantageous to many 4×4 owners who are searching for non-manufacturer specific 4×4 components.
Meaning that owners of a wide range of 4WDs models and marques can find suitable components from a great selection of trade specialists, who together offer a diverse range of 4WD products, from hard to find spares, Tuning (Alive Tuning), Wheel & Tyre packages (Maxxis) and ever popular Expedition Equipment (APB Trading, Tuff-Trek ®), and everything in between, including fully rebuilt & pegged heavy duty diffs (Mega Squirt V8 & XS4X4).
Growing year on year is the Adventure Travel Sector, as seen by the number of ‘Overland’ tour operators presenting their tag along adventure trips such as; Atlas Overland, Trailmasters International and the increasingly popular ‘Lets Overland’ who were busy all day. A new exhibitor we noticed was the unusually named Le Blanc Overlanding, offering a rental service for Roof Tents, surely a great solution for many?
It was also good to see the growing popularity of the Jeep models, with an ever increasing range of parts, accessories and specialists on display (J33p, Jeep Owners Club, Jeepey etc). Beechdale Jeep (Derby) exhibited the Jeep vehicles on the block paving outside of the main entrance, including a range of the latest models.
As from last year, visitors were encouraged to display their vehicles in a dedicated display car park, grouped in manufacturer sections, giving a great opportunity for people to admire the interesting modifications that make each vehicle unique.
Attendance & turn out was excellent with numbers up on last year, proving interest for the midland based show is strong.
With well over 100 trade stands, there was something for everyone to nose at, or pick up a show discounted bargain.
If this years comparison to 2015 is to be considered, next year will again be bigger and better.
All in all, a great day out and a fitting start to the 2016 4×4 year….
Thanks to our friends at Tuff Trek . The Overland Adventure Equipment Specialists