Volvo hosted the China Open at the CBD International Golf Club in Beijing the weekend that the show kicked off, and BMW had the Asian Open at the Tomson Pudong Club in Shanghai through the second weekend of the show.
This is the 14th year that Volvo have sponsored their tournament, won by Ireland’s Damien McGrane. Klas Magnusson, Acting Head of Volvo Event Management worldwide, was in Beijing for the tournament and for the Auto Show. He confirmed that Volvo are in China for the long-haul, and that golf, in which they invest over US$6 million per year in China, will continue to be a pillar of their strategy.
"Volvo is a highly successful commercial business", he said, "and our golf strategy is based on both achieving and supporting commercial success. I am happy to be able to report that Volvo companies in China are reporting record results."
Volvo Cars first appeared in China back in the 1980's, are sold today through 57 dealers in 48 cities. The Group has established 8 business areas since 1992, covering such products groups as construction equipment, trucks, and buses. The Group now employs nearly 4,000 people in China, and investment to date totals USD 450 million.
Pride of place on the Volvo stand was taken by the XC60, first shown to the public at the Geneva Show in March, and by the C70 Coupé Convertible, which demonstrated a very nice line in folding its roof and tucking it neatly in the boot – and all done electronically.
Environmental protection is high on the agenda in the modern car industry, and there was plenty of green to be seen. Electric power, hybrid engines and new technological advances to reduce emissions were all on display.
The X6 Active Hybrid is one of BMW's contributions to the green effort, and naturally it featured prominently on their stand. The company's marketing push included an invitation to Greg Norman, the 'Great White Shark', to headline the Asian Open in Shanghai, and they are currently touring 41 Chinese cities with their BMW Experience Day 2008. The event kicked off in Guangzhou on April 7th, and will conclude in Shenyang in September.
No car show would be complete without a beauty pageant, and the Auto Show 2008 was no exception. China took advantage of the opportunity to show off some of her home-grown talent, and models on the Audi, Mercedes and Citroen stands were attracting almost as much attention as the products on display. The Chinese Geely girls in their slinky black dresses were stunning, and Renault too was a big hit with the combination of their Formula 1 racing car and its beautiful attendant.
But there was little doubt as to the star of the show in this particular respect. The silver Mazda Taiki Sports Car and its accompanying models, along with the overall quality of the display stand, were breathtaking.
