Thousands throng auto expo despite political tension

Thousands throng auto expo despite political tension

By Damar Harsanto

JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of car aficionados packed the Gaikindo
11th Auto Expo 20001 at the Jakarta Convention Center,
unperturbed about the building political tension surrounding the
premises.

The expo was opened at 10 a.m. on Saturday, about the same
hour the members of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)
started their crucial meeting to impeach President Abdurrahman
Wahid at the legislative building, some few hundred meters from
the expo's venue.

Tens of combat-ready security officers, including police and
military personnel, assigned to protect the MPR meeting, were
standing guard alongside the thoroughfare leading to the
legislative building and the expo's venue.

But, the expo's visitors didn't apparently care.

The exhibitors, who initially were worried the political
showdown between Abdurrahman and legislators would discourage
people from coming, were certainly happy to see every booth in
the 30,000 square meters exhibition building jam packed with
visitors.

"We had a very decisive moment yesterday, but now I'm sure
people are coming. The expo will run smoothly, it's a great
success," Klaus Biskup, president director of PT BMW Indonesia
told The Jakarta Post

Kris A. Mayer, the director of sales, marketing and after-
sales service of PT General Motors Indonesia, also looked happy.

"We're here because we believe the expo will run successfully.
What happens out there (in the legislative building) and here are
two different things," he said.

Sharing Kris' view, Gaikindo's chairman Bambang Trisulo said
in his opening speech that since last year, the auto industry had
learned to treat politics and business affairs as separate
matters.

"The bullish auto market in the first half this year amid the
growing political tension at home indicates players in business
have learned to disassociate the two things," Bambang said.

Gaikindo reported earlier the country's car sales during the
first half this year stood at 148,000 units, an increase of 15
percent from 128,000 in the same period last year.

Rapid growth in domestic car sales had lured many automakers
to compete aggressively to win a greater share of the market pie.

They are now proudly exhibiting their products at the expo,
which will run through to next Sunday.

Toyota put on display 13 car models at its booth with Corolla
Altis -- the ninth generation of Corolla -- at the front and
RAV4, Kijang Krista, Kijang LGX, Previe, Crown and the futuristic
Fun Coupe at the rear. Corolla Altis is priced at between Rp 240
million and Rp 255 million.

BMW Indonesia are displaying six car models, including BMW 3
series convertible, BMW 5 series, BMW X5, BMW Z 3 and its only
classic car BMW 3200S Staatlimousine.

Its main competitor -- Jaguar -- is showing five car models,
including X-type and S-type priced from Rp 800 million to Rp 1.1
billion.

French automaker Renault, which bills itself as createur
d'automobiles (the creator of the automobile), is exhibiting four
models: Laguna, Clio, Kangoo, and Scenic, while its strategic
partner Nissan is trying to grab the attention of visitors with
Nissan Sentra and Nissan X-trail.

Suzuki is showing its Grand Escudo, which will reportedly be
assembled here next year and Aerio, which it predicted to become
the "successor" of its popular Suzuki Baleno.

The expo also featured some locally-made cars, including the
Perkasa bus made by PT Texmaco and the Kancil which is designed
to replace the bajaj (three wheeled motorized vehicle).

The expo was officially opened by the Minister of Trade and
Industry Luhut B. Pandjaitan.

The organizers will also hold several seminars during the
expo, where antiluxury car activists, billed as GAM, who staged a
rowdy demonstration during last year's expo, will also speak.

Gaikindo has targeted 300,000 visitors during the nine-day
exhibition, a 20 percent increase from the 250,000 visitors to
last year's expo.