Continental at the Automechanika Exhibition in Shanghai

Shanghai/China, 7 December 2011Leading international automotive supplier presents a wide range of ATE, ContiTech and VDO aftermarket products. · Wide range of products and solutions which are adapted to the affordable price with high quality and state-of-the-art technology for the local market.

The Continental Corporation, one of the leading international automotive suppliers, exhibits at booth H01 in hall W1 at the 7th Automechanika held in the Shanghai New International Expo Center from December 7 to 10, 2011. The ContiTech division presents drive belt solutions for the Chinese spare parts market and its tried-and-tested air suspension systems for commercial vehicles. Under the ATE and VDO brands, Continental presents a wide range of products and services for the automotive independent aftermarket to enhance efficiency, comfort, safety and eco-friendliness to the Chinese market.

First-class technology with comprehensive service – these are the ContiTech's central themes at Automechanika Shanghai. As a partner to dealerships and workshops, with over 111 years of experience in the field of drive belts and more than 55 years of experience with air springs, ContiTech supports customers in day-to-day work with a tailor-made program in original quality: from sophisticated technical products and expert advice to an informative Internet range. ContiTech will be showcasing installation aids for workshops: the TOOL BOX Asian Cars ensures professional-level changing of timing belts, especially on Asian vehicles, and helps mechanics to avoid errors. It has been conceived as an ideal complement to the TOOL BOX. ContiTech has also introduced more timing belt kits and water pump kits.

ContiTech also is presenting tried-and-tested, maintenance-free air spring systems for the replacement market. The broad and constantly growing product portfolio covers nearly every air suspension application in buses, trucks or trailers.

As one of the market-leading OE brake system developer and supplier in Europe with more than 100 years of expertise in the field of brake systems, the ATE product brand has been setting the standard for quality, market expertise, scope of delivery and stable margins. ATE offers a broad range of spare parts for brakes and correspondent services while VDO provides original replacement parts for engine actuators, actuators for central locking systems, fuel systems, sensors, HVAC blower and fan systems, screen and headlight washer systems*, tire pressure monitoring systems* as well as multi-brand diagnostics system* and diesel repair service* (products or services with “*” marks are not available in China). With its electronic, mechatronic and market expertise, VDO is the sustainable partner of trade and repair shops in the independent aftermarket, delivering perfect-fit, future securing products and solutions that cover current and future business requirements. Both strong brands present themselves with a wide range of products and solutions for local markets which are adapted to the affordable price with high quality and state-of-the-art technology.

The Chinese automotive aftermarket is one of the most dynamic and promising markets in the world. The passenger vehicle components and parts market in China is projected to increase at an annual rate of 13.8 percent, reaching 50 billion RMB in 2010 while the growth rate will continue at the high level around 18.3 percent annually through 2014, driven by the country’s expanding and aging stock of passenger vehicles. Mechanical products will remain the most common types, while electronics grows the fastest. Low-speed vehicles will continue to be a key aftermarket in rural areas. China's passenger vehicle parts aftermarket will experience dramatic levels of growth in the coming years, driven by the extremely high rates of new passenger vehicle sales the market is witnessing. The largest product category in China's passenger vehicle aftermarket is mechanical products, which include engine hard parts and chassis. Replacement rates for electrical, exterior and structural parts will also experience robust growth going forward.

In order to profit optimally from the growth of the Chinese automotive Aftermarket and to be able to respond as quickly as possible to local trends, ATE & VDO are more focusing on this region with their respective product application fields, which acts as dominated market players, and will continue to extend their product portfolio to meet this booming market growing requirements and customized needs.