2008 Olympics Helping Drive China Vehicle Sales Says GlobalAutoIndustry.com Expert

TROY, Mich.--Oct. 2, 20030, 2003--While there are many sound economic reasons why the feverish pace of China's automotive sales are likely to continue, there is also a little-known and powerful influence on sales, says one GlobalAutoIndustry.com expert.

The "Olympic effect" is a correlation between the buildup of local infrastructure for the Olympic games with increased vehicle sales for years before and after the Olympics, said Denton Dance, senior manager of Asia Pacific Forecasting for the Troy, Mich., office of J.D. Power and Associates, a global marketing information company. The pattern has been documented in at least two other Olympic host cities.

Dance's observation that the pattern developing in China, which is hosting the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, resembles previous patterns in Tokyo and Seoul is reported in the premier issue of CHINAtalk, a monthly eJournal published by GlobalAutoIndustry.com.

"We've found a strong correlation to the timing of the Olympics," Dance said. "The heavy infrastructure development, which includes roads and parking lots for the Olympic venues, spurred growth of the vehicle market in those countries."

CHINAtalk focuses on the insight and strategies needed by global automotive supplier executives to compete in China's rapidly growing automotive market. It joins the other highly successful GlobalAutoIndustry.com eJournals ASIAtalk, EUROtalk and AMERItalk, distributed worldwide to more than 15,000 supplier executives.

Other articles in the premier issue discuss the pressures on suppliers to enter China and the complexities of China's slowly modernizing legal system. Free subscriptions to CHINAtalk and all of the eJournals are available at www.GlobalAutoIndustry.com.

About GlobalAutoIndustry.com

GlobalAutoIndustry.com connects the worldwide auto supplier industry with the resources to effectively do business globally. Through the web site, www.GlobalAutoIndustry.com, auto supplier executives can find insight, solutions and strategies focused on doing business in the world's top automotive markets.

Monthly eJournals provide targeted information and insight on doing business in foreign markets and GlobalAutoIndustry.com Solutions provide effective international answers to suppliers' global business and operational needs.

Parent company, HCI Group Ltd., is based in Troy, Mich., with European headquarters in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

For more information contact Managing Editor Marsha Stopa at (248) 526-3312 or MStopa@GlobalAutoIndustry.com. GAI