For sale is an original 1937 ENAMEL PIN for a U.K. AUTO TRADE ASSOCIATION COMMITTEE from the the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), United Kingdom. This ornate enamel badge is in excellent condition. The pin measures 1 3/4 inches long and 1 1/8 inches wide. The text on the badge reads: “COMMITEE – COMMERCIAL MOTOR TRANSPORT EXHIBITION – 1937 – EARL’S COURT”. The pin is designed to sit over a shirt pocket or fasten to his suit coat lapel. A great collectible from the early days of automobile industry.
In 1902, Frederick Richard Simms founded a trade association for the United Kingdom motor industry called the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The organization’s purpose was to promote the interests of the UK automotive industry at home and abroad. One of organization’s earliest functions was holding motor shows, the earliest of which was at Crystal Palace in January 1903. For the next 32 years, the exhibition moved to Olympia. In 1937, the show was moved to the redeveloped Earls Court site but the outbreak of war 14 months later disrupted the Society’s efforts. The Motor Show and Commercial Vehicle Exhibition wasn’t introduced in late 1948. During the 1950s, UK’s motor industry continued its recovery from the immediate post-war period. By 1956, over 500,000 people were directly employed in the manufacture of motor vehicles and parts. Today, the organization’s exhibition show is known as the British International Motor Show.