SUPERMODELS were out in force to help unveil super cars at the opening of the London Motor Show.

While Kate Moss was taking the wraps off Rover's new 25 and 45 cars, Claudia Schiffer created mayhem as she showed off Citroen's new vehicles.

Frenzied photographers shoved and shouted as they fought to get the best views of the blonde star at the London Motor Show at Earl's Court.

Dressed in a simple, but revealing, two-piece beige knitted outfit, Schiffer responded to photographers' pleas by draping herself over the Citroen Xsara.

For ten minutes the cameras flashed in a scene more reminiscent of the topless model days of 1970s motor shows than the more decorous 1990s exhibitions.

Also adding a touch of glamour to the show were chart-topping band All Saints who were on the Chrysler Jeep stand.

They took delivery of four new luxury Jeeps at the show. The four members of the singing group - Shaznay Lewis, Melanie Blatt and sisters Natalie and Nicole Appleton - each chose a £35,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.7 V8 because "it's our favourite off roader".

Nicole already owns a Jeep Wrangler and Natalie has been running a Jeep Cherokee for several years.

Television presenter Gail Porter was revealing SEAT's new five-door hatchback Leon model.

Sports stars also graced Rover's launch, with triple jumpers Jonathan Edwards and Ashia Hansen and decathlete Dean Macey on hand.

The 25 and the 45 are replacements for the popular Rover 200 and 400 and were launched with the kind of razzmatazz which the company used to unveil the 75 at the Birmingham Motor Show last year.

Today, the show will host a debate by the Oxford Union - the first time in its 176-year history that the Oxford University society has held a debate outside its home city.

The motion to be debated is that "this house would force motorists to use their cars less".

Among those speaking for the motion is London Mayoral hopeful, Labour MP Glenda Jackson, while shadow transport secretary John Redwood is among those opposing the motion.

Story date: Thursday 21 October

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.