According to the organizing committee, more than 40 automakers from home and abroad, such as Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Peugeot, Citroen, Volvo, Nissan, Honda, Toyota, BYD, Zhongxing and Brillianceauto, have expressed interest in the exhibition.

Some of them plan to debut their latest series at the show. All this will provide visitors a perfect opportunity to get a wealth of first-hand information.

Auto fans will even have the chance to test drive.

Through demonstration of driving skills, exhibitors will offer tailor-made services to buyers.

Opinion polls on automobile after-sale service assessment will be conducted, aiming to improve industrial service standards.

Meanwhile, price discounts during the event will benefit buyers and help boost on-site sales.

During the event, government officials, technical experts, entrepreneurs, and representatives from domestic and overseas trade associations are to hold talks on important issues in the industry.

The Forum on Development of Chinese Automobile Aftermarket is expected to attract wide attention from industry insiders.

The automobile aftermarket is targeted at the commodity and service trade incurred after automobile purchase, covering auto maintenance, repair, and decoration as well as related banking and insurance services.

With the increasing number of vehicle owners in China, automobile aftermarket is becoming a booming business in the country.

Automobile owners need to replace overused or broken vehicle parts. People also like to modify or decorate vehicles to suit their own style.

These are the reasons behind the automobile aftermarket boom. Rather than the limited options offered by original equipment manufacturers, a wide range of automobile-related products provided by manufacturers specializing in particular fields cater to auto fans.

Despite an impressive performance so far, the auto parts sector is currently experiencing "growth pains." According to experts, some firms ignored market research and paid a high price for their blind expansion.

The professional forum, as well as other related seminars and lecturers to be held during the event, will provide constructive suggestions for auto parts production and sales.

Following the Fourth China Changchun Automobile Fair, a bigger auto event held in the same city last year, the upcoming auto part exposition will once again put the host city of Changchun, capital of Jilin Province, in the spotlight.

Dubbed as the cradle of the Chinese auto industry, the city continues to enjoy the distinct advantages of a skilled workforce and a well-established industrial base.

Due to the city's outstanding strength in auto manufacturing, many overseas automakers select to set up branches here or enter into partnership with local firms.

Through importing advanced technologies and managerial expertise, local firms too kept sharpening their competitive edge and now play an increasingly important role in the Chinese and even the world auto industry.

Despite mounting oil prices, the First Automobile Works (FAW), a leading Chinese industry player headquartered in Changchun, sold 221,362 FAW-Volkswagen cars to end users last year alone, according to data posted on the company's website.

Driven by the strong performance of foreign-funded and locally based automakers, the auto parts sector of the city has also embraced brisk growth in recent years.

Statistics show that the city's auto parts trade exceeded 11 billion yuan (US$1.37 billion) by the end of 2004, with export volume reaching US$102 million.