Automotive suppliers in the spotlight at Paris Motor Show

Paris

IF YOU want to see where the global car industry is going, book a flight to this always beautiful city and attend one of the world's oldest and largest automotive displays, the Paris Motor Show, more properly "Paris Mondial de L'Automobile".

The 2014 edition of the show is underway this week through Oct 19. There is much to see and ponder, including the increasing influence of automotive component suppliers on the safety, general function and road performance of today's cars and trucks.

Worldwide supplier-generated componentry in passenger cars has risen to 85 per cent today from about 14 per cent in 1984. And although it is normal to think of those suppliers as makers of brakes, tyres and transmissions, their influence extends considerably beyond those common automotive items - as does their current ma…