aBr November 2014 | Page 22

2014 Automechanika Frankfurt | by Austin Gamble Hard Parts to the Fore The 23rd Automechanika held in Frankfurt from 16 to 20 September 2014 provided many new highlights, but for aBr it was business as usual as we attended practically all the press conferences held on the first day of the show, and on the second day interviewed as many exhibitors as possible. 2014 Automechanika Frankfurt I t was then back onto the plane and back to South Africa, and back to our desks. In the two days we were there, our focus was on our advertisers, and being a full blooded automotive aftermarket business-to-business magazine, hard parts came to the fore. parts is our raison d’etre and what really gets us going, with the definition proving to be spot on. It is these parts that keep the wheels of our economy turning, so whilst this area of the aftermarket is not very sexy to the casual observer, for aBr hard These numbers confirm that if you are in the automotive aftermarket, Automechanika is the place to be every second September. All the exhibitors want to unveil their latest products, This year around 140 000 trade visitors from 173 countries visited the show, swarming over the stands put up by 4 631 companies from 71 countries. their latest plans, and their latest innovations, and aBr gives our readers a quick glimpse of what we heard and saw, with a blitz of information: Going the Extra Meyle Wulf Gaertner Autoparts’ stand focused on the MEYLE Platinum Disc with UV paint finish; MEYLE Platinum Pads that protect the environment; MEYLE Water Pumps “Made in Germany” in HD quality for various VAG models; Meyle’s involvement in European truck racing, and their broad range of parts for commercial vehicles; MEYLE HD control arm sets for Mini and BMW; and Wulf Gaertner Autoparts AG’s world of services. ➲ Keeping a keen eye on repair procedures ➲ Acid test for MEYLE brakes: Antonio Albacete, runner-up in the European truck racing championship, relies on MEYLE spare parts | words in action 20 november 2014