Showtime in Paris starts good times rolling

German brand Opel won best-of-show with its catwalk-inspired stand.

Carmakers have left bad days behind, says Liz Dobson

The Paris motor show wasn't so much a chance to wow journalists and car enthusiasts with new products but more of an opportunity for car companies to prove the global financial crisis is over, and vehicle sales have gone from reverse to at least second gear.

The bi-annual premium motor show in Europe, with 12,000 journalists attending the first two press days last week, is expected to attract 1.23 million visitors over the 15-day event.

This year 250 makes from 17 countries are on display over seven pavilions, with vehicle reveals every 15 minutes on the first press day.

But many car companies revealed the products they were going to show at Paris in the weeks leading up to the event.

Unlike previous shows, when car companies have released "teaser" shots of the vehicles - an LED headlight here, a curving outline there - this time there wasn't one "spoiler alert" headline in the press releases and instead there was nothing left to surprise.

Image 1 of 26: Audi Sportback

For journalists attending the show, it meant we knew what the vehicles looked like and engine sizes well before the motor show, and the big difference was we could gauge if the glossy marketing photos of the cars lived up to the hype ... and actually sit in the vehicles.

But one car company which did succeed in surprising the journalists was Volkswagen with the arrival on stage of the XL Sport diesel-hybrid two-seater coupe.

There was also the hometown advantage for French brands Peugeot, Renault and Citroen with vast areas for their displays and France's President, Francois Hollande, touring the local brands' stands on day two.

• View the Driven Paris Motor Show gallery here

Renault's colour changing, moving balls suspended from the roof and "hill" in the middle of the display was impressive but German brand Opel won best-of-show with its catwalk-inspired stand and supermodel Claudia Schiffer on hand to launch the company's three-door Corsa hatchback.

The hottest concept car was from Citroen's DS luxury line, the aptly named Divine, with its double-winged doors and panelled interior.

Local hero Peugeot wins for its over-the-top display for the Quartz heavy-duty off-roader. Playing behind the concept vehicle was an action-inspired film featuring baddies in armed helicopters chasing a lovelorn hero in a Quartz down a snow-capped mountain. Unfortunately the mini movie received more attention than the concept car.

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