The BAW B90 - 'Homage' to the Range Rover at the Beijing Motor Show
It’s been revealed that the Beijing Motor Show this year has eclipsed Geneva to become the World’s biggest.
Well, a Clarkson-esque headline seemed appropriate.
The world is changing. The car landscape even more so with the rapid introduction of new technology and the seemingly endless ability of car makers in the last few years to offer more power for less fuel and emissions.
But what’s really changing is the epicentre of the wonderful world of cars. We’d argue that has been Europe since we invented the car. Our Colonial cousins would doubtless argue that Detroit was where it was all at and the last thirty years has see a valid case for Japan. But not any more.
China is the centre of the car world now, most certainly in terms of growth and market and doubtless in terms of the future. And if you want a clear illustration of this fact you need only look at the figures for the recent Motor Show in Beijing.
Beijing had 780,000 visitors, That’s 88,000 more than Geneva managed this year. There were also 12,000 journalists in Beijing – 1,000 more than Geneva. Beijing had 990 cars on the floor including 65 concepts and 89 new launches. Geneva didn’t release figures for cars on display, and we’ve given up trying to count. But they look firmly eclipsed.
Geneva’s far from finished. It’s arguably the best Motor Show on the planet and will probably end up being the only Motor Show in Europe before long.
But it’s not hard to see the power shifting.
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