With around 1,000 cars, over 300 exhibitors, 30 participating countries, 22,000 organising staff and 5,000 automotive journalists from all over the world, the Birmingham Motor Show 1998 is set to become one of the world's biggest auto fests.
The show began on Wednesday and will be on till November 1.
The press day on Tuesday at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, began with the first ever sighting of the Tata Safari and the Indica in the UK.
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On display at the pavilion was the four-wheel drive version of the Safari yet to be named for the European market, the Tata Indica and a fully dressed double-cab pick up. The Safari brand name, however, belongs to Peugeot-Citroen in the UK and Telco is now running a "name the car and win a Safari" campaign at the show.
Farokh Kavarana, executive director, corporate affairs, Telco told Business Standard that Tata had a fruitful tour of various auto shows around the world in 1998 including Geneva, Madrid and now Birmingham. This international exposure had given the company a chance to gauge the response to the all new machines displayed by Telco, he said.
He said Indica will be free of any glitches when it hits the Indian roads. "We are looking at getting it spot on at the first try. A few sub-supplier delays have delayed our plans," he said. Tata expects to launch the Indica in Europe in another 12 to 15 months.
Kavarana reiterated that the price of the Indica will be competitive to the Maruti 800 and the compact cars that have entered the domestic market. "We want people to buy the Indica for its virtues rather than its price tag. But Telco realises how important pricing is in the Indian context and expects a combination of price and quality to work for it," he said.
The new Jaguar S-type is attempting to recreate the magic of the original from the fifties. Fresh from the big success of the new XKR sports car and flush with funds from Ford, the new S-type goes on sale from 1999 with a world-wide forecast of 40,000 units in 1999 and 55,000 cars in 2000. It will compete with the premium mid-size genre of sedans like the Mercedes-Benz E-class and the BMW 5 series. Power- plants for the car include a 240 bhp 3000 CC V6 unit and a 280 bhp V8 unit.
Other British marques that used the press day for the launch included BMW-owned Rover and Lotus. Rolls-Royce, now owned by Volkswagen, displayed the new Bentley range since the company will be losing the Rolls title to BMW in the new millennium. The impetus is thus more on the luxury-sport branded Bentleys.
The biggest pavilion belongs to Ford and the focus is on the new Escort replacement named Focus.
Focus will be available on either side of the Atlantic, unlike its predecessor. Also present is the new Cougar and a host of concept cars.
Volkswagen will release the new Beetle in UK and other parts of Europe.
San Motors from Bangalore had the San Storm and the San Streak at the Reliant pavilion. Powered by a Renault engine, the car is likely to hit the roads next year.
If the enthusiasm of the press is anything to go by, the huge success it is presently enjoying in the USA will be repeated in the UK and the other European markets. The buyers' queues for the new Beetle are extending well into the next millennium.
From amongst other multinationals now present in India, Daewoo and Hyundai impressed with their vast displays.
At the Hyundai pavilion, Indian-built Santro was replaced by the Atos which went on sale in select European markets this year. Mitsubishi continued with its last year's Gasoline Direct
Reliant, the small volume car producer, is now carrying out tests on what may be termed the first ever purpose-built sports cars for India.
World number two Toyota displayed the Yaris, a four-door family sedan that is powered by a lean burn small four-cylinder 1000 CC engine which produces a healthy 67 bhp and returns 20 kpl.
Along with the hybrid-powered Prius, the Japanese giant expects the Yaris to make an environmental statement. The Yaris has the credentials to earn a production run in India but Toyota executives at the show denied any such immediate plans.