Fears for Europe’s car market ahead of Paris car show

Europe’s anemic car market rebound could be over before it has really begun. That is the fear of executives as they gather for the Paris car show on Thursday, the biggest industry event in the regional calendar.

While US and Japanese car sales are back at pre-crisis levels, Europe is still 20% below its 2007 peak.

Carmakers are rolling out new models in anticipation of closing the gap - the Paris show floor will be bristling with fuel-efficient small cars and compact SUVs.