RUSSIA: WORLD'S LEADING MOTOR MANUFACTURERS DISPLAY THEIR LATEST MODELS AT THE 5TH MOSCOW AUTO SHOW

Record ID: 648614

  • Title: RUSSIA: WORLD'S LEADING MOTOR MANUFACTURERS DISPLAY THEIR LATEST MODELS AT THE 5TH MOSCOW AUTO SHOW
  • Date: 23rd August 2001
  • Summary: (W8) MOSCOW, RUSSIA ( AUGUST 23, 2001) (REUTERS-ACCESS ALL) 1. WIDE OF THE AUTO EXHIBITION, VARIOUS AUTO TRADE MARKS ON DISPLAY (2 SHOTS) 0.13 2. SV/CLOSE-UP OF ORANGE AUDI/ WHEEL (2 SHOTS) 0.22 3. SV: YELLOW AUDI TT CONVERTABLE ON DISPLAY 0.28 4. SV/CU: BLUE A-8 AUDI ON STAND (2 SHOTS) 0.42 5. SV: BMW SILVER SHADOW ON DISPLAY 0.47 6. VARIOUS: BMW Z-9 CONVERTIBLE (4 SHOTS) 1.10 7. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) ((English) MATTHIAS KNEBEL, BMW GROUP FINANCE DIRECTOR SAYING: "You have to make an investment and we need to say we want to win the market and make investment to local production in Kaliningrad and this shows that we' re here to winning the market." 1.28 8. SV: YELLOW BMW M-3 1.34 9. WIDE OF AUTO SHOW 1.39 10. SV: MERCEDES-BENZ 600/ WORKERS WIPING CAR 1.45 11. CU: CAR INTERIOR 1.48 12. SV: MERCEDEZ-BENZ WITH DOORS OPEN ON A ROTATING STAND 1.53 13. SV: FORD CAR ON DISPLAY 1.59 14. WS: PEOPLE SURROUNDING FORD CARS 2.07 15. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) HENRIK NENZEN, FORD PRESIDENT RUSSIA AND CIS SAYING: "The Russian consumer is very demanding. We find him through our research to want the absolute latest technology. He wants the latest gadgets. Most people want air-conditioning in their cars. It's a demanding consumer. And we as a manufacturer we are adapting our products to fit very well on the Russian market." 2.30 16. WIDE OF AUTOMOBILES 2.36 17. VARIOUS OF RUSSIAN -MADE VOLGA 1950-IES STYLE (2 SHOTS) 2.53 18. VARIOUS A LEXUS CONVERTABLE SC430 (2 SHOTS) 3.19 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 7th September 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
  • Country: Russia
  • Reuters ID: LVA8UHDTARMMXMYHD8V78PFWTDP
  • Story Text: Leading world car manufacturers have trotted their best
    products at a Moscow auto show aiming to capitalize on
    Russia's new-found wealth.


    Six hundred participants from 27 countries are taking
    part in the 5th Moscow auto show that officially opened on
    Friday (August 24).

    Among them such famous brands as BMW, Mercedes-Benz,
    Nissan, Ford, Volkswagen and Lexus.

    Russia accounts for only a tiny fraction of sales by
    leading international car manufacturers and is seen as one of
    the biggest prospective markets for Western producers,
    struggling with over capacity and flagging demand.

    Surging sales of luxury cars add to general perception
    that opportunities are aplenty for foreign producers in
    Russia.

    Germany's BMW rolled out its BMW Z9 concept convertible in
    Moscow and said it planned to double sales to some 2,500 this
    year and to reach 3,000 in 2002.

    He said the company planned to raise local production at a
    factory in Russia's Baltic Sea enclave of Kaliningrad to 2,100
    to 2,150 cars this year from 1,200 in 2000.

    A large chunk of BMW's sales in Russia come from cars the
    company assembles locally with a Russian partner, Avtotor.

    "You have to make an investment and we need to say we want
    to win the market and make investment to local production in
    Kaliningrad and this shows that we' re here to winning the
    market" said Matthias Knebel, finance director of BMW group.

    The company has displayed several new BMW cars at the show
    that attracted Russian consumers.

    Henrik Nenzen, President of Ford Motor Co for Russia and
    CIS said a rapid rise in demand for foreign cars made Russian
    consumers extremely demanding.

    "We find him through our research to want the absolute
    latest technology. He wants the latest gadgets. Most people
    want air-conditioning in their cars. And we as a manufacturer
    we are adapting our products to fit very well on the Russian
    market"
    A far cry from the gloomy days of 1998 when a financial
    crisis virtually killed demand, Russia's car market today is
    booming on the strength of a healthy economy and high export
    revenues and foreign firms say they want their piece of the
    pie.

    Henzen also said Russia's domestic production would help
    foreign firms boost their share of the Russian market to 30
    percent in 2008 from a meagre five percent last year.

    Other carmakers were more cautious in their forecasts,
    pointing to natural market constraints in a country where
    average monthly salary stood at $100 this year and a $10,000
    car would be a luxury for most of the 146-million population.

    Ford, which sells a wide range of vehicles in Russia priced
    from $14,000 to $75,000, expects sales to more than triple
    this year to 4,500 units from 1,363 in 2000. Ford aims to
    launch production at a joint venture in Russia in the second
    quarter of 2002.


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