2026 4x4 Expo
Mud, Mates and Mildly Questionable Spending Decisions
The start of a new year means one thing in our world: a fresh calendar of excuses to look at lifted vehicles, talk nonsense about tyres, and spend money we absolutely don’t need to spend. The 2026 show season kicked off, as tradition now dictates, at 4x4 Expo, held at the Staffordshire County Showground and organised, as usual, by Dave Round of Llama 4x4 fame, and his team. And this year’s event certainly lived up to its description as the biggest, busiest and best indoor 4x4 show in the UK. No “urban overland aesthetic”. Just proper trucks, proper kit, and people who actually use them.
With the opening time advertised at 9.30am, I decided to rock up a bit early so I could get a quick video and take some photos before the crowds were allowed in. This didn’t materialise as I ended up chatting to pretty much everyone on the trade stands, and before I knew it the halls were thronging with punters - I clearly didn’t learn my lesson from last year - I blame Roy from 4x4 Obsession and Pat from Team X who kept me talking!
If you’ve ever been to this show, you’ll know it feels less like a trade event and more like a reunion for people who think discussing recovery points before breakfast is perfectly normal - which it is, by the way.
Speaking of Pat from Team X, he had his highly modified Freelander 2 on show that’s just returned from testing in Morocco, and next next year he'll be heading for Baja - all self funded, so any sponsorship will help enormously. More on this epic adventure coming soon.
Next I managed to grab a word with Victoria and Reece from West Coast Off Road Centre who had brought along two fantastic looking 4x4s; a highly modified 100 series Land Cruiser with a tray back, and their silver 79 Series double cab - all 4.5ltr v8 diesel of it. Neither are show ponies and are regularly put to work.
I also managed to have a chat with Darren from Jedi 4x4, especially about our good mate Frank Elson who isn’t well at the moment and is greatly missed.
Up on the balcony, conveniently located near the café, where All-Terrain UK, and on the opposite side within a selection of club stands was the Green Lane Association (GLASS), both continuing their vital work protecting access to the lanes we all enjoy but often take for granted.
Nestled in between some great looking 4x4s is where I managed to squeeze in a couple of words with Matt from the Ford Ranger Club. They have a wonderful community and some great membership offers on at the moment - clicky link. If I had a Ford Ranger it’s a club I would definitely join.
Back downstairs and Aired Down, Jacked Up Adventures and SGL Adventure Tours were sharing a stand, and again it was great to catch up with Josh and Adam. We’re hopefully going to catch up later on this year for a green-lane mooch around his neck of the woods, can’t wait for that.
It was great to catch up with Chris from ORE4x4 - we’ve chatted on the phone numerous times, but never in person. He brought his INEOS Grenadier along to show off some of the kit they’ve manufactured - again, more on this coming soon.
In the adjacent hall, the Off-Road Motorsport Zone reminded everyone that some people see a perfectly functional 4x4 and think:
“Yes… but what if we drove it up a rock face at full throttle?”
Trials machines, comp safari weapons and challenge trucks sat shoulder to shoulder, displaying the kind of fabrication that makes you equal parts impressed and slightly concerned. These are vehicles built with one purpose: to survive punishment that would reduce most road cars to a small pile of regret.
In the second building I had a particularly interesting conversation with the team at Hutt.Life (no relation to The Mud Life), a relatively new business showcasing its “BootCamp” modular camping system. Designed to fit neatly into the back of a vehicle, it transforms the load area into a compact camper setup with a bed platform, kitchen and storage. It’s a clever bit of thinking for those who want to travel light-ish while still bringing everything including the kettle. I never did ask whether they make one to fit Deux Smurf. That may be a dangerous conversation for another day.
Don’t ignore the car park! As always, part of the show’s magic happens outside, and this year’s collection didn’t disappoint. there was a wonderfully random mix of working trucks, long-distance tourers, competition builds and daily drivers. Where else would you spot an old 70 Series Land Cruiser parked next to a huge Chevy pickup, or a rare and pristine Jeep Grand Cherokee next to a filthy and lifted D2?
What I like about the 4x4 Expo show is that it has a real emphasis on people who actually use their 4x4s rather than just the lifestyle and show trucks. Overall it was a cracking show with pretty much something for everyone, from competition, recovery, touring, parts and everything in between.
It was interesting chatting to David about the history of the show. In 2002 they started up the British Indoor 4x4 Show over at Donington which ran for 4 or 5 years before the then publishers of Total OffRoad magazine bought the rights to the show.
For some reason, he said, the show began to decline in popularity, and in 2012 it was staged for the last time. This in turn left a gap in the market for a 'true 4x4' show, so the old team started it again at Donington.
Using the original concept, and with the same aims of a show that the public can enjoy and the trade can earn a living at, the Donington 4x4 Show was born and ran for the first time in 2013. Then, in 2018 in was decided that the Staffordshire County Showground would be the perfect new home, and the first '4x4 Expo’, and it’s been here ever since.
And that was it for me, with a lot of work to get through back at Muddy Towers I decided to say my goodbyes around dinner time (or lunch, if you insist on southern terminology), and head back home.
Overall it was another cracking show with pretty much something for everyone, from competition, recovery, touring, parts and everything in between. It’s much more diverse that a traditional Land Rover show and with a great atmosphere. It was great to see, and chat to so many familiar faces, and new ones, from companies to Mud Life readers - you lot are ace!
Till next year, enjoy the pics…
For more details check out: http://4x4expo.co.uk
