Besides being great places to visit, these international cities have hosted auto shows where people have witnessed the introduction of many, great BMW vehicles, some starting life as concept cars.

The MINI is named North American Car of the Year at the 2003 Detroit Auto Show. In the home of the American automobile, MINI has become the first European car to win the award. Click here for Dr. Panke's speech at Detroit.

Featuring 326 exhibitors and over 1,000 vehicles, 15 cars made their world debut and 50 cars were seen in Britain for the first time, including the new MINI, the new 2001 M3, the BMW Z9 Convertible Concept and the BMW 750hL.

Here is a breakdown of major Auto Shows held around the world:

	In North America, there are several big events, starting with the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show, held in early January. This is the first show of the new year and in Hollywood fashion, it is lavish. The theme in 2000 was California Dreamin 2000, where the X5 SAV had its world premiere at this show.

Quickly following the LA event is the North American Auto Show, held in Detroit in the middle of January. Detroit is the home of the American car, and the Detroit show features a range of interesting automotive activities and events along with the exhibition. One of the most significant events is the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards, patterned after the highly respected European Car of the Year Award. 

And if you're in Detroit, why not take in the excellent Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in nearby Dearborn? It's an excellent facility, and they even have a few BMW's! Click here for more Auto Museums, including the BMW Museum in Munich.

The Barrett-Jackson Auction is known for handling high-end and exotic cars. Billing itself as "The World's Greatest Classic Car Auction," the Barrett-Jackson event is held in Scottsdale, Arizona in late January. 

If you can't make the auction, but you're "in the area," stop in at Houston, Texas, for the Houston Auto Show featuring over 600 cars. 

The website of the Chicago Auto Show describes it as the largest auto show in the US. It features multiple world and North American introductions, a complete range of domestic and imported passenger cars and trucks, sport utility vehicles, experimental and concept cars. In total nearly 1,000 different vehicles. The Chicago Auto Show has been held more times than any other auto exposition in the US. 

	One of the most important and well-known European shows is the International Motor Show, held in March 11-21 at the Palexpo in Geneva, Switzerland. The new E46 M3 was first shown at this show.

For many car lovers, springtime and the Geneva show go hand-in-hand. It is Europe's only annual international motor exhibition that is recognized by the OICA (International Automobile Manufacturers' Organization). Like the LA and Chicago shows, over 1,000 cars are featured, from around forty countries. 4,000 journalists from all over the world attend the show, as do approximately 700,000 visitors from 80 countries, making this a truly international event.

In the USA in the Spring, there is a different type of show, Spring Carlisle. Since 1977 the show has grown to include more than 125,000 attendees from all over the world. With more than 8,100 vendor spaces spreading over 82 acres, you'll find automotive parts, accessories and memorabilia. There are approximately 1,800 spaces filled with collector cars and trucks for all tastes and budgets. All vehicles are for sale by owner and the necessary title transfer and notary services are available on grounds.

Finally, there is the IAA in Frankfurt, Germany. For BMW, this is the auto show, and over the years, most of BMW's new models are first shown at Frankfurt. The show is held in September, and if you're already in Germany, why not stay, visit the BMW Museum in Munich and attend Octoberfest!

Here are links to the major international motor shows traditionally attended by BMW:

• Detroit Auto Show, Detroit, USA.
• Geneva Motor Show, Geneva, Switzerland.
• IAA Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany. In German and English.
• Mondial de l'Automobile, Paris, France.
• Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. The Z8 was first shown here in 1997 as the Z07 concept car.
• New York International Auto Show, New York, USA.
• Greater Los Angeles Auto Show, Los Angeles, California, USA.