Mangalore: The Mangalore Auto (mobiles) Expo(sition)-2012 was opened on Saturday (February 18) morning at Karavali Exhibition grounds in city.

Major automobile dealers are exhibiting the latest brands to be by them to prospective buyers at the sprawling venue.

Old brands which are not shown here are vintage models of 50 or more years which have gone out of production like Rolls Royce and Ambassador or Padmini.

The Pre-used (or second-hand) cars have their separate market grounds as in Kadri. The prices of cars, except Nanao (tata-make) are quoted in several lakhs of rupees, often reaching a crore in certain cases.

There are Sunday car shows as in Bangalore, also of small cars.

The present exhibition accommodates banks and vehicle loans financing companies, to assist customers to pick a new car of their own choice or preference, in a Deal on Wheels.

The Manipal students of M.I.T have assembled a car, designed by them and displayed here.

N. Yogish Bhat, city MLA, who inaugurated the programme, later stated that a permanent exhibition ground was needed in Mangalore to keep citizen abreast of modern developments in technology.

Keshav Dharani of RTO Rahurama Shetty of SBI, and Bhat, retired GM of Corporation Bank, were in the gathering.