Dubai International Motor Show, the region’s most influential automotive event, saw as many as 108 global and regional launches including 15 concept cars and more than 600 cars on display in Dubai.

The five-day show attracted 105,268 visitors, up 15 per cent on 2011, said the event organisers.

More than 150 international exhibitors, comprising over 60 global car manufacturers, covered the 65,000 sq m of exhibition space, up 15 per cent over the previous show.

Several luxury vehicle manufacturers reported sold-out stand and record sales and bookings, said the statement.

Lamborghini closed deals for 10 models, Lebanese carmaker W Motors’ received three orders for its $3 million Lykan Hypersports supercar and Aston Martin took orders for 20 cars, while manufacturers from high-end marquees such as Bentley, Bugatti and McLaren, and mass market brands including Toyota, Hyundai and Ford all reported strong sales, the statement added.

Brabus, the German-based high-performance aftermarket tuning company, and Rumble Cycles, an independent motorcycle store in the UAE were the other big winners.

With the Middle East luxury car segment forecast to double by 2015, the high-end manufacturers recognise the show as a platform to connect with a receptive, high net worth target audience.

“This was our most successful Dubai show to date in terms of luxury sales and ROI,” said George Duncan, director, Prestige Division, Al Habtoor Motors.

“Although we keep specific sales numbers confidential, we can say that Bentley, Bugatti and McLaren all reported best-ever sales returns at the show. Every Bentley on the show floor was sold and we saw strong sales traffic for Bugatti and McLaren," he added.

Widely recognised by the world’s leading luxury manufacturers as one of the top markets in the world for bespoke and personalised models, several marques enjoyed exceptional response during the show.

“The Middle East has the biggest uptake on Rolls-Royce Bespoke models with 100 per cent of delivered cars containing at least some element of customer personalisation,” said Geoff Briscoe, regional director, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

"The Middle East is a discerning market for luxury vehicles; customers are very knowledgeable about cars and place a lot of emphasis on what they drive,” said Osman Abdelmoneim, general manager, AGMC, which distributes Rolls-Royce, MINI and German luxury manufacturer BMW across the UAE.

Ford Middle East secured its own share of the show spotlight by showcasing two concept vehicles - the Ford Atlas and the Lincoln MKC - for the first time regionally.

“The show has always been an integral platform for the region’s automotive industry and for Ford Motor Company in particular,” remarked Larry Prein, Ford Middle East’s managing director.

“It’s why we chose this stage to announce the introduction of 17 new or refreshed models in the next 24 months, which kicked off with the regional debut of the Ford Fusion and EcoSport models,” he added.

The volume of visitors generated a new level of success for exhibitors running on-site activations and social media competitions to generate additional brand engagement.

“We leveraged the regional premiere of the all-new Corolla and FT 86 Open Concept to register personal data of more than 10,000 stand visitors who expressed interest in buying a new Toyota,” said Jon Williams, managing director, Al-Futtaim Motors, the Japanese manufacturer’s UAE distributor. “We also handed out a staggering 177,000 gifts and entertained over 1,200 virtual racers in our Toyota 86 Coupe simulator.”

The 2013 edition of the motor show saw a number of Chinese motor industry heavyweights launching its brands to the world.

Elsewhere, JAC Motors made its regional debut at the show, while Chery International, which has gone into partnership with Al Habtoor Motors, promoted its new fleet.

A biennial event, the 13th Dubai International Motor Show will take place from November 5 to 9, 2015. - TradeArabia News Service