Slowdown in China to hit world's carmakers

German firms the hardest hit given their strong presence here

The slowdown in the Chinese automobile market, the world's largest, may be affecting the entire industry, but will hit German makers the hardest given their strong presence in the country, analysts said.

At the International Motor Show in Frankfurt, which opened to the media on Tuesday and will invite the general public from Saturday, German companies such as Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes have the biggest stands, generally dwarfing those of their foreign rivals.