TAUNTON Racecourse hosted the Motor Show today with thousands turning out for the fundraising event.

The event, organised by the County Gazette in association with Taunton Racecourse, ran from 10am until 3.30pm.

Among the attractions on offer were a fun fair, a host of food stalls showcasing the best of Somerset and beyond, as well as stalls hosted by the Army, St Margaret’s Hospice and your County Gazette.

Dulton Burton, sales executive for Nissan, said: "It went really well. It was really busy right from the get go, as soon as we finished getting the cars in position.

"We have not stopped all day and taken on a lot of enquiries."

Jamie Bird, a Nissan sales executive, said: "We have probably had the best pitch here. It was a fantastic and we drew a lot of interest. We started up the GTR a few times.

"Most importantly we have lots of appointments next week."

Among the brands on show were Tesla, Mercedes, BMW, Jaguar, Mini, Subaru, Kia, Ford, Vauxhall, Hyundai, Toyota, Mazda, Skoda and Nissan.

Luke Pardham, of the Ford events team, said: "It has been quite good. We have had a lot of people on the stand. We also had some fun events with the kids."

Stafford Coombes, chairman of Taunton Motoring Club said: "It has been pretty good and we have had a good footfall.

"Our best times were pre-lunch and after lunchtime.

"It worked well. We hope it happens again."

Paul Thomas, sales manager for Toyota, added: "It was excellent, really good, and it has been a steady flow all day.

"We had lots of enthusiasm for the cars. The GT86 always causes a lot of interest and the full hybrids generated a lot of interest as well."