CHENNAI:The Chennai Trade Centre reverberated with the sound of engines as the third edition of the Express Auto Expo kicked off here on Saturday. The show will be open to the public on Sunday as well. The expo is being sponsored by Honda, Indian Oil and Mahindra Rise.
The expo was formally opened by India’s first ever Formula One racer Narain Karthikeyan, whose own automobile consultancy firm TorqueX.com is a participant at the event. Karthikeyan had two stints in Formula One, first with the Jordan in 2005 and then with HRT Racing in 2011 and 2012. He also served as a test driver with Williams F1 in 2006 and 2007. He has been racing in Japan since 2014, in the Super Formula series, driving for the Honda-powered Nakajima Racing.
The function was also attended by Mercedes-Benz Trans Car India vice president Amba Shankar who had words of praise for the Expo. “We are hoping to continue such partnerships,” he said. “Cars sales this year have increased compared to last year and we are hoping that the market will improve further.”
Some of the biggest automobile brands in the country are showcasing their products at the Expo with visitors also having the option of test driving select vehicles. Greeting visitors at the very entrance is a model of the JK Tyre’s FB02 cars, one of the fastest racing cars active in the country today. Some of the world’s most sought-after luxury car brands including Mercedes Benz, Mini Cooper and BMW too have stalls. The Expo features an impressive array of motorbike manufacturers as well. One of the biggest draws of the opening day was the Harley Davidson stall. Other two-wheeler brands at the Expo include Aprilia, Big Boyz Bikes, Kawasaki, Hyosung and Piaggio.