The world 's car giants go head-to-head as the Frankfurt Motor Show opens to the public . Flaunting the latest releases , the show is a tapestry of hybrid and concept designs from some of the most illustrious marques . But while the German city plays host to glitz and glamor , manufacturers are eyeing a burgeoning class of car buyers more than 6,000 miles away in China , where 200 million cars now run on the country 's ever-congested roads . The world 's largest car market , China is the major battleground for European companies in the 21st century , as premium brands look to exploit a growing population of 1.3 billion people . With European sales in decline and the U.S. market only slowly recovering , China represents a beacon of steady growth at a time of economic uncertainty . Read more : China on verge of worst economic crisis in decades . High domestic demand and rising wages are fueling a boom in the world 's second biggest economy , with car sales increasing 11 % in August year on year , according to the state-backed China Association of Automobile Manufacturers . World Bank statistics show that China 's GDP per capita -- an indicator used to measure the standard of living in a country -- had risen 436 % between 2002 and 2012 , from $ 1,135 to $ 6,091 . Watch more : European production for Chinese cars . China 's car market will almost match the combined size of the U.S. and western European market by 2019 with sales set to double from current levels , according to a report by consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers . And where once Chinese motorists were content to buy dated , home-grown vehicles -- or at best pale imitations of Western designs such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW -- now they want the real McCoy , according to analysts . Read more : China pushes for indigenous car brands . `` You see the same with the massive rise of the middle class in India , '' said Andrew Marsh , director of independent consultancy AutoIndustryInsider.com . `` Those who can afford it do n't want the domestically produced tat . They want to have the Western names , vehicles built elsewhere . '' U.S. auto giants Ford and General Motors have reported record sales increases in China for the month of August . The two Detroit-based companies reported a 46 % and 11.2 % rise respectively , with Ford citing strong demand for the Focus while GM-owned marque Buick sales for August are up 17.7 % compared to the same month in 2012 . Read more : Chinese automaker snaps up Volvo $ 1.8 billion deal . Car sales are also booming at the top end and this week McLaren Automotive said it would start trading in China for the first time . The British-based manufacturer of luxury , high-performance sports cars is opening four showrooms in major Chinese cities including Beijing and Shanghai in an effort to tap China 's growing middle class . Mike Flewitt , chief executive officer of UK-based McLaren Automotive , said : `` We want to achieve a balanced global sales portfolio , with China contributing somewhere in the region of 10 % of total sales . '' Watch more : Will Chinese cars save Chrysler . McLaren 's supercar range including the 12C , the 12C Spider and the P1 went on sale in China on September 9 . The 12C and the Spider retail between £165,000 and £195,000 while the luxury P1 costs approximately £866,000 . James Foxall , a motoring columnist for Britain 's Daily Telegraph , said that although western carmakers are clamoring to enter the Chinese market , foreign companies face a number of hurdles in the process . `` Western carmakers ca n't just pitch up and sell cars in China , '' he said . `` They have to go into a joint venture with a local manufacturer . '' Watch more : Chinese car company sets up college . General Motors and Ford have both used local partnerships to enable them to produce cars in China . GM operates with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation ( SAIC ) while Ford is in a three-way venture with Chinese Changan and Japanese producer Mazda . The threat of counterfeiting is also brushed aside by the high-end Western car manufacturers . McLaren 's Flewitt said the company was not `` overly worried '' by the prospect . `` We are constantly investing a large amount of time , money and brainpower into R & D . That means that while a company may copy what we are producing today , by the time it is introduced and established by a competitor , we will already be focused on the next step forward . '' And the reality is that copying a car badly may be simple ; doing it to the quality of an Audi or BMW is incredibly difficult . As Foxall added : `` Then trying to mass produce it is even more difficult and the Chinese just have n't got that yet . '' That 's not to say that Chinese manufacturers are not trying to emulate less sophisticated European cars -- at least in terms of their design . Paolo Beconcini , a partner and intellectual property expert at Shanghai-based Carroll , Burdick and McDonough , argues that Chinese buyers are less `` demanding '' than western consumers who require the latest environmentally-friendly engines and safety features . `` Cars are first of all a status symbol , the gate to the middle class.Therefore , Chinese consumers focus more on the outer design of vehicles than in their technology , safety and performance . ''
China car sales increasing 11 % in August year on year , according to the state-backed manufacturers association . China 's car market will almost match the combined size of the U.S. and western European market by 2019 . U.S. auto giants Ford and General Motors have reported record sales increases in China for the month of August .