Opening of the 2006 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition

1. Wide of models pulling back covers over car on display 2. Close, zoom out to wide of Rolls Royce car 3. Medium of inside of exhibited Rolls Royce car 4. Medium of model stood in front of Rolls Royce sign 5. Wide of audience, Maserati sign in the background 6. Wide of models stood next to Bentley car 7. Close of Bentley car with sign "Azure" 8. Interior of Bentley car 9. SOUNDBITE: (English), Ian Robertson, Chairman and CEO of Rolls Royce "The luxury goods market here has been expanding rapidly and we have seen a lot of success. We are in the process of enlarging our dealer body. So, we currently have four dealers here and we will have seven during 2007. I think there's an awful lot of opportunity and potential to grow even further." 10. Wide of model with Porsche car 11. Mid of Porsche car 12. Close of "911 Turbo" sign on Porsche car 13. Wide of visitors getting into car 14. Close of visitor, pan to medium of steering wheel of car 15. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin), Zhang Lin, visitor "It (the car show) means we are getting closer to these luxury cars and it opens our eyes. We common people normally don't have the chance to see these cars, but now we may have a try." 16. Wide of car by Chinese automaker Chery on display 17. Close of Chery car with logo 18. Wide of people watching Chery car 19. Close of visitor trying gear of Chery car 20. Medium of visitor taking photos in Chery car 21. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin), Jin Yibo, vice director, Marketing and Sales, Chery Automobile "If Chinese automakers, represented by Chery, can make good performances in China's auto market, it will build up a concrete foundation for us to go out of China and enter into the world market." 22. Close of Chinese-made Hongqi car, with car sign in background 23. Wide of Hongqi car on display 24. Close of Hongqi car with Chinese characters STORYLINE: The 2006 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition opens this weekend, with the world's top car manufacturers showcasing new models and vying for a share of a booming Chinese car market. Rolls Royce, Bentley, Porsche and other major industry players were among the 1,500 exhibitors taking part in the biannual event. Rolls-Royce recently announced that China had become its third largest market after the United States and Britain, due to the growing class of entrepreneurs. The company plans to add 200 employees to meet demand from China for its 380-thousand US dollar Phantom. "The luxury market here has been expanding rapidly and we have seen a lot of success," Rolls Royce Chairman and CEO Ian Roberson said. "So, we currently have four dealers here and we will have seven during 2007," he added. Other foreign luxury carmakers - including Britain's Bentley, a unit of Volkswagen - have also seen sales surge in China as racing economic growth creates a wealthy elite. China has grown at lightning speed to become the world's second-largest car market after the United States, with seven (m) million new vehicle sales recorded a year. Families with growing incomes are now shifting from bicycles and scooters to their first sedans. "It (The Auto show) means we are getting closer to these luxury cars and it opens our eyes. We common people normally don't have the chance to see these cars, but now we may have a try," said 27-year-old Zhang Lin, one of the visitors. The country's homegrown car manufacturing base is also enjoying the boom. Cars made in China account for around 20 per cent of the whole market, according to Jin Yibo, vice director of the Fourth Marketing and Sales Department at Chery Automobile. Domestic models on show at this year's event include the Hongqi, made by Chinese carmaker First Automobile Group and normally reserved for the country's political elite. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/f019c8296d82c24abca2cef085fcd7df Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork