Wide variety displayed at Taipei auto show

Whilst many visitors gazed covetously at shiny sports cars or breathtaking models of concept cars, scores of students from 18 car-related schools lined up to test PlayStation's latest racing car video game, on Monday.

Another attraction is a “crystal model” of a Lexus two-seater. The model, made using a transparent acrylic material, is displayed in a dark room and illuminated with blue and white lights, allowing almost every component to be seen.

Cheng Ching-tien, head of the Taipei Automobile Distributors Association, said the association organized the event despite the difficult business climate for car firms.

Major European and U.S. car companies that were absent from the recently concluded Tokyo auto show are taking part in the Taipei event due to the support of the association members, he noted.

The show features cars from 25 companies, including Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Toyota, Audi, Ford, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Taiwan's new brand, Luxgen.

“Some models are not yet out in the U.S.” said one visitor from Boston, who added that he had read about these new cars in magazines, although they will not be introduced to the U.S. until later.

“It's always fun to see the real cars,” he said.

After touring the show for an hour, he observed that many of the photographers were taking photos of pretty showgirls posing next to the cars, but said he would rather look at the cars.

“Beautiful girls you can see anywhere, but cars not so much,” he said.

His view was shared by French engineer Jean-Francois Fort, who said his first impression of the show was that many people were more interested in photographing the girls than the cars.

“They should at least take some photos of the cars,” he said.

As a regular visitor to the Paris car show, Fort said that both car shows are similar in format, although the Taipei show is smaller than the one held in the French capital.

Fort also noted that many of the cars on show in Taipei are not distributed in Europe.

More than 40,000 people have visited the show, which takes place every other year, according to its organizers.

Event publicist, Caroline Lin, said that companies at the auto show are not so much seeking orders as using the event to understand market needs.

The event will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day until Jan 3, at the Taipei World Trade Center's Exhibition Hall I, with an admission fee of NT$250 (US$8).

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