Auto Mobil International in Leipzig is the year’s most important motor show in Germany and central Europe. From 5–13 April 2008, it will be hosting some 470 exhibitors – including 50 car marques debuting probably more than 100 models – on 120,000 square metres of exhibition space.
Admire and test-drive the latest models
Of course, all eyes at AMI will be on the more than 100 brand-new vehicles presented by car manufacturers from Germany and abroad. Daimler, for example, will be staging two world premieres featuring Mercedes-Benz’s new A and B Class cars. BMW has promised four German debuts, including its new 1 Series convertible. Other German premieres visitors can look forward to include the Dacia Sandero, Ford Fiesta, Ford Kuga, Lancia Delta, Mazda 2 (three-door), MINI John Cooper Works, MINI John Cooper Works Clubman, Nissan GTR, Peugeot 308 SW, Renault Kaleos, Renault Laguna GT, Skoda Superb, Toyota IQ, Volvo XC 60, VW Scirocco and VW Passat CC. Meanwhile Chinese manufacturer Shuanghuan will be debuting the Landmark and Grand Tiger.
Test-drive record
As usual, Auto Mobil International will be a motor show where the customer comes first. “It’s not some out-of-reach technology show but an emotional experience that makes a lasting impression, inspiring visitors to purchase anything from a new car or van to practical accessories,” is how Leipziger Messe’s CEO and President Wolfgang Marzin sums up the approach behind AMI. Once again, in 2008 there will be opportunities galore for visitors to get behind the wheel and test-drive some of the vehicles on display. A total of 27 exhibitors will be inviting visitors to take more than 100 different models for a spin near the exhibition centre – a new record for AMI!
In 2008, Auto Mobil International will also be raising its profile as a central platform for alternative fuels and greener car technologies. This will be underlined by the extensive presentations on natural gas and LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) as well as the AMI Petrol-Saving Hour. Designed to make drivers more environmentally aware while saving money into the bargain, this year the campaign will feature vehicles provided by 23 exhibitors.
More for individualists
The new section of AMI devoted to customisation and tuning is set to enjoy a huge response. After all, with people becoming increasingly interested in customising their vehicles in terms of styling, features and performance, the demand for related products is continuously growing. Not just car tuners but in particular the automotive industry are now providing the market with a constantly expanding range of special models, sports car accessories and other types of modification – and AMI is following this trend by focusing more than ever on customisation and tuning. Seventeen carmakers will be displaying their accessories and individual lines. Other manufacturers of tuning components and tuner cars will benefit from the presence of prestigious marques nearby to showcase their products. The range covered will include all types of customisation and tuning such as performance and styling products, car hi-fi and navigation, special individual lines and accessories aimed at specific target groups.
New exhibitors in all areas
The ‘regular exhibitors’ who have being appearing at AMI for years now will be joined in 2008 by several first-time exhibitors. For example, there will be five new car brands on display, including MORGAN from the UK and sports car manufacturer Gumpert from the neighbouring region of Thuringia, which will be displaying its APOLLO. Some of the most famous new exhibitors include Vredestein GmbH, GD Handelssysteme GmbH, Gunnar Adam Services GmbH, Thule Towing Systems and readybank AG.
Special show devoted to celebrities and their cars
Since 1996, the various special shows held at AMI have been admired by hundreds of thousands of visitors – and, thanks to strong media coverage, millions of people at home. This year, the spotlight will be on ‘Celebrities and their Cars’ in the Glass Hall. AMI will be displaying 25 stunning vehicles in three sections. The first will contain legendary vehicles used by 20th-century celebrities, including a Mercedes-Benz built in 1912 with propeller shaft drive once owned by the Bulgarian royal family and the official cars of Pope Paul VI, Giscard d’Estaing, Svetlana Stalin, politician and poet Johannes R. Becher, former German chancellor Helmut Kohl, and East German leader Erich Honecker. The 1965 Cadillac Fleetwood Series 75 Commerce was used as a hearse for famous stars of stage and screen like Marlene Dietrich, Hildegard Knef, Horst Buchholz and Günter Pfitzmann.
The second section will feature extraordinary vehicles used by the stars of today. They include such unusual exhibits as comic musician Helge Schneider’s Deutz motor caravan, the BMW Isetta belonging to Prince Leopold of Bavaria, a Range Rover owned by Prince Charles, the Wiesmann Roadster MF3 driven by professional footballer Torsten Frings, actor and comedian Dirk Bach’s Lincoln Mark Seven, Jürgen Klinsmann’s Volkswagen Beetle, the BMW 2002 possessed by Hans-Joachim Stuck, newsreader Jan Hofer’s 1958 Mercedes-Benz 220 S, and celebrity chef Tim Mälzer’s GMC pick-up truck. All the owners involved have of course been invited to AMI. And a number of them will even sit themselves down on the ‘celebrity sofa’ in the third section, where some of the famous faces advertising various vehicles will also be presenting the latest cars on general sale. Those who have agreed to appear on the couch include Dirk Bach, Prince Leopold, pop singer Haddaway from Trinidad and Tobago (fronting the Subaru Impreza WRX STI), actress Christina Plate (Mazda CX-7), actors Ralf Bauer (Suzuki Rally vehicles), Armin Rhode (Volkswagen) and Peter Sodann (Skoda Superb), skiing legend Rosi Mittermaier (Subaru) and German weathergirl Claudia Kleinert (Skoda Octavia Scout).
Contact for the press:
Thomas Tenzler
Phone: +49 (0) 341 / 6 78 - 81 56
Fax: +49 (0) 341 / 6 78 - 81 82
e-mail: t.tenzler@leipziger-messe.de
Internet:
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