Press shuttles: fleets of low emission cars were on hand to ferry journos about such is the distance involved – here’s an Audi A4 Avant, VW Golf Ecomotive, and MINIe. Photo: United Pictures

…in the cathedral of Mercedes-Benz

THE sheer size of the Frankfurt Motor Show is astonishing. The halls start in Germany and seemingly end up across the border in Luxembourg. Mind you, it does give the car makers the chance to demonstrate their latest emission-saving cars to shepherd journos from one end of eternity to the other to save their legs the walking. There were electric MINIs, VW Golf Ecomotives, and low emission Audi A4 Avants among others on duty.

But it’s not only the distance between the halls that’s huge. It’s some of the halls themselves. The first major display hall, lest you were to forget the company’s pre-eminence in Germany, belongs to Mercedes. It is like a cathedral. There is even an upper tier, from where the view is spectacular