Non-Japanese car makers are remarkably absent from the Tokyo Auto Show and the show is definitely dominated by Honda, Nissan and Toyota. The complete auto show looks like a lonesome affair for the Japanese auto makers. German automakers Volkswagen AG and BMW AG as well as U.S. manufacturers General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. are some of the conspicuous absentees. All of them attended the previous Tokyo 2007 show.
Most of the car makers are banking on China and not Japan as the next biggest emerging market. Also, BRIC countries are emerging as the most popular destinations for the auto makers around the globe. These are Brazil, Russia, India and China. Delhi Auto Show is coming up in January 2010 and global auto majors have already designed their plans and strategies for the upcoming auto show in India.
The auto companies are actually blaming the recession for staying clear of the Tokyo Auto Show 2009. Moreover, Tokyo is an expensive city going by the international standards. On day one, there were visibly fewer attendees than in 2007 when the Nissan GT-R, another very fast car, was the star.
