Beijing motor show: China means (auto) business

By Guy Bird

Motor Shows

22 April 2008 05:34

Only a fool wandering around this week's Beijing motor show would still dismiss China as some also-ran automotive market full of rip-off designs and outdated ‘new’ cars based on old Western designs.

While all of those clichés were still in evidence at the Chinese auto show, the copycat mentality is much less obvious than even a year ago at last year's Shanghai show. And every western car exec CAR spoke to was in awe of the upward sales trajectory that means China is still the place to do business in 2008.

Yes, there are still some odd automotive fish, usually small ‘three-box’ saloon in shape such as the Chinese market only Citroen C-Elysee and the VW Lavida (a Jetta/Bora Plus car with less style). But the market’s scarcely credible growth cannot be denied.

The world’s second biggest market

Inside ten years, China has gone from having almost no private car market at all to becoming the second biggest in the world in 2006 by overtaking Japan.

In 2007, total cars sales were 5.5 million plus three million commercial vehicles. The 2008 Beijing motor show reflects this. No major manufacturer was absent and numerous global unveils were made. Mercedes’ production GLK launch was the firm’s first ever Chinese global unveil while Audi launched its Q5 compact SUV.

Few will be surprised to hear that China became Audi’s second biggest market in 2007 after Germany, pipping the UK and the USA in the process.

Click 'Next' to find out what the domestic car makers are up to at Beijing

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By Guy Bird