The 14th Tai'an International Auto Expo got off the line on Sept 13, attracting 80,000 visitors and seeing more than 1,600 contracts signed.

The four-day expo hosted more than 60 local automobile dealers as well as sales and service providers. Some 1,000 vehicles were put on display, including self-developed brands, joint-stock brands and luxury imported cars. Around 100 of the vehicles on show were new to the market.

The Roewe RX5, the first Internet of Things (IoT) based car to be mass produced, was the big winner at the expo. It is joint effort of auto giant, SAIC Motor Corporation, and China e-commerce giant Alibaba. For car sales, September is always the peak, and dealers offered significant discounts to boost orders at the expo to catch the tail end of the golden month.

Tai'an has hosted the auto expo for 14 years, attracting some of the biggest names in the industry, and has become an indicator for the local auto market.

A salesman plies his trade at the 14th Tai'an auto expo. [Photo/Tai'an Daily]