It is more like a car fair rather than an auto show. This is how the Bucharest International Auto Show (SIAB), which ended last week, could be best described.
There were less than 200,000 visitors, the number posted last year, but sales skyrocketed. According to the car dealers at the show, some 250 vehicles were sold in 2001, while this year's edition saw sales of over 500 - 600 cars.
It remains to be seen exactly how much of the impressive sales volume reported at SIAB will be included in the statistics of the Romanian Carmakers and Importers Association (APIA) in the next months, as the auto market has only grown 20% since last year's auto show.
Moreover, the 2003 auto show hosted several luxury brands for the first time. As expected, they scored when it came to sales. Company officials said contracts were signed for seven Bentleys, one Lamborghini, six Maseratis. The price of these cars starts from 100,000 euros.
British brand Morgan, which displayed two retro-looking vehicles, caught eyes (and landed contracts). Moreover, the four Harley Davidson motorcycles the importer expected to sell by yearend turned into 11 contracts along the show.
Therefore, it is obvious that for big models and brands, the sales announced along the show were even bigger. Renault Romania, the leading carmaker on the Romanian import market, sold 165 cars branded Renault and closed contracts for 120 Nissan vehicles. The other importers also did well.
Even the most recent brand to enter the Romanian market, Chevrolet, scored 20 sold units at SIAB. The domestic producer Dacia posted the most significant sales (250 units) during the show. ionut.bonoiu@zf.ro
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