Thirteen car brands will vie to get potential customers’ motors running at the 2014 Phnom Penh International Auto Show, to be held later this month on Koh Pich (Diamond Island).

BMW, Ford, Jaguar, Mercedes, Volkswagen and MG are among the brands expected to fill the convention space from October 30 to November 2.

“More people are increasingly able to afford and are interested in upgrading from a motorbike to a car,” Rami Sharaf, president of the Cambodia Automotive Industry Federation, said.

He noted, however, that new car purchases in the Kingdom have so far remained limited to those from the middle and upper classes.

Seng Voeung, auto division manager for RMA Cambodia, the dealer for Ford and Jaguar, said that his company had sold about 300 vehicles during the first six months of the year.

Voeung added that he hoped this month’s auto show would encourage more people to buy new cars.