Hyundai's last-minute decision to withdraw from the event has come as a disappointment to those who hoped to see some of the top models from the Korean automaker's stable. Industry sources said that the company had reportedly assured its participation weeks before the show opened but suddenly decided against it. Company officials were unavailable for comment.

In the case of Maruti, the grapevine has it that the company was not too enthusiastic about the event given its relatively small canvas as compared to the Delhi Auto Expo, organised every two years by the CII. Further, the company was believed to be of the view that it did not really have any new models on display though there have been recent reports of its intention to bring the Baleno and Wagon R into thecountry.

Maruti's absence has, to an extent, been made up by its dealer Vitesse which has some of the company's models on display. However, the crowds that have been thronging the stalls are a wee bit disappointed that the country's largest car manufacturer opted to stay out of an event being held in a city that it crazy about automobiles.

The same goes for Hyundai whose Santro has caught the fancy of the Indian consumer. "All the company had to do was to show off its sports coupe, Tiburon, apart from the Santro and other mid-size models. This would have ensured continuing goodwill from the public," sources said. Surprisingly, unlike Maruti, none of Hyundai's dealers showed any enthusiasm to participate in the show which is largely an exercise at brand-building.

While it is quite obvious that Mumbai does not offer the luxury of space like Delhi which can house a mega show in Pragati Maidan, the fact remains that India's commercial capital is an important market for cars. Hence, apart from the fact thatMaruti and Hyundai did not turn up, it was galling to see that most top executives of the participating companies were not present. Apparently, this was because they thought that this would be a low-key affair when, on the contrary, the event has been a smash hit.

"There have been a lot of enquiries and what is more relevant is the quality of crowds that have gathered here. Most of them are serious customers who know their ropes well," sources said. The CII has also worked overtime to ensure that all the infrastructure is in place thanks to a contractor who got everything in place. Almost every fixture at the show, right from the furniture, flower vases and the steel structures have been sourced from Delhi.

Despite all this running around, the response to the event has only assured the organisers that this can be held every year in Mumbai.

The problem will continue to be one of space and it is vital that the venue be confined to south Mumbai instead of the suburbs in order to attract crowds.