Beijing autoshow review 2012

In many ways, Beijing’s Auto China motor show personifies the automotive gold rush in China. After the 2012 expo closed earlier this month, a reported 800,000 visitors had tramped across 230,000 square metres of space to see more than 2,000 exhibitors present 1,125 vehicles – 113 more than at 2011’s 12-hall Frankfurt show. The scale of this event is in step with new vehicle sales, which topped 18.5m in 2011 and ensure China is by far the biggest market in the world.

By Hannah Robinson and Guy Bird