Bangladesh's car culture has always existed in a slightly defiant state: loud, fragmented, and stubbornly alive. In 2025, Generation on Wheels stopped asking for space and simply took it. What emerged wasn't a side attraction to the usual industry fare, but a defining moment for local enthusiast culture, one that put people and machines at the centre rather than press releases and tightly managed launches.
Held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre on the outskirts of Dhaka, the event leaned deliberately toward the raw and the real. It was big, busy and unapologetically crowded, presenting itself less like a polished auto show and more like a national gathering of car people who had finally been handed the keys to the venue.
At the centre of it all was an enthusiast-driven zone organised largely by Thrusty Garage and Cars & Conversation. Instead of a curated display, it functioned like an oversized club meet that had burst through its own limitations. Groups including Japan Antique Automobiles Bangladesh, Bangladesh Vespa Community, Volkswagen Club Bangladesh, Roadmaster Club Bangladesh, Toyota Crown Club Bangladesh, Mercedes-Benz Club Bangladesh, MotorWerks BD, and several others, filled the space with more than 100 vehicles. The range was deliberately broad. Restored German saloons rubbed shoulders with restomodded Jaguars, classic Minis, Vespa scooters, overland Land Cruisers, and old-school Jeeps. In a telling move, Jeep Bangladesh opted to show only historical vehicles, sidestepping new products entirely.
That lack of hierarchy carried through the entire event. New cars, old cars, worn dailies, classics, high-value machinery, and deeply personal projects all sat together without labels or barriers. A weathered Corolla could park next to a European classic without anyone being told where they belonged. There was no visible attempt to separate 'show cars' from everything else, and that was very much the point.
Corporate support came from Ranks Petroleum Ltd. – Shell, alongside the wider Rancon Group, but they resisted letting sponsorship dictate the character of the show. Manufacturer displays were kept largely to the entrance area, where brands such as Chery, BYD, Kia, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Honda, MG, Proton, GAC and Deepal were present. Some took a restrained approach, with BMW displaying a single car, while others leaned into heritage. Mitsubishi and MG both brought older models from their collections, and Honda drew a steady crowd by placing an EK9 Civic Type R front and centre on a podium.
Two wheels weren't ignored, though they played a smaller role than the cars. Suzuki brought its full motorcycle lineup, including its latest adventure offering, while Honda Motorcycle Bangladesh focused on classic machines. Around that, the organisers layered in test tracks, DJs and even carnival rides, giving the whole thing the feel of a motoring fair rather than a trade event.
As daylight faded, the energy shifted upward. The top level of the multi-storey parking structure morphed into its own dense, high-energy enthusiast space. Japanese performance cars such as Toyota Celicas, MR2s and Mark IIs packed in alongside European metal, including Brabus-built cars, multiple Porsches, and a healthy showing of BMW M machinery. A small but eye-catching group of supercars, including a Nissan GT-R, a Honda NSX, and a McLaren Artura, added to the sense that this wasn't being carefully rationed. It was loud, occasionally chaotic, and driven almost entirely by unplanned interaction.
A live concert featuring Warfaze, Fuad & Friends and Karnival had been scheduled, but it was cancelled following security directives from higher authorities. Even so, attendance didn't falter. Thousands still turned up, underlining a simple truth: the cars and the community were the headline act, not the stage.
In the end, Generation on Wheels 2025 succeeded precisely because it refused to be overly polished, corporate or controlled. It reflected Bangladesh's car scene as it actually exists, spanning low-budget builds and high-value machines with equal visibility and no attempt to sanitise the edges. Organisers are already confirming a return next year, promising something bigger and louder.
