THE world’s car makers sought to look past global economic worries at the Frankfurt, Germany auto show, with many betting on cleaner, smaller, high-mileage vehicles aimed at evolving consumer tastes.

The industry, which suffered through the recession caused by the 2007-2009 financial crisis, has been riding the global recovery but now is looking at shakier prospects amid Europe’s debt crisis and worries about the US economy.

Still, this year’s 64th International Motor Show is more cheerful than its 2009 predecessor, which took place during the recession. Organisers say 1,007 exhibitors have signed on — up from 781 last time, and German car makers including BMW, Daimler, Volkswagen and Porsche have put up strong recent profits — thanks in part to rising sales in fast-growing emerging markets.

The confidence of the German carmakers showed in a lavish display of Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz and Smart lines, with CEO Dieter Zetsche speaking in front of a giant screen flashing highresolution video graphics and accompanied by a thunderous sound system. Zetsche said that no matter the “turbulence on the Frankfurt stock exhange” in recent days, “all lights are green” at the company.

VW luxury brand Audi is splashing out for its own test track that winds in and out of the exhibit building.

“People are talking too much about crisis,” said Rupert Stadler, Audi’s chief executive who predicts double-digit growth for its US sales this year. “It’s always possible to complain.”

Journalists and industry executives got a sneak peak Tuesday and Wednesday, dubbed the world’s biggest auto show it opened to the public yesterday and runs until September 25th.

Lighter material, electricpowered engines and tiny, fuelefficient cars styled for city driving are among innovations on display.

Ford Motor Company unveiled the Evos, a concept car that won’t make it into production but which shows design elements that will appear on Ford’s regular models soon. Those could include the car’s slender, LED headlights.

VW has its new subcompact up!, which is only 3.54 metres long and has a new fuelefficient, three-cylinder engine. BMW’s small electric i3 saves weight with high-tech carbon reinforced plastic, or CRP.

“The use of CRP has allowed us to solve the contradiction that electric vehicles will have to be distinctly heavier because of the weight of the battery,” said BMW’s development chief, Klaus Draeger, “because CRP is a lightweight yet strong and rigid material.”

As usual, the show isn’t all about small and frugal. At the Porsche stand, journalists and other onlookers pawed the new version of the classic 911 Carrera sports car. The gleaming dark blue display model was quickly covered with fingerprints from people climbing in and out or leaning on it to have their snapshot taken.