New Delhi, Jan 12: The country's most famous car designer Dilip Chhabria, popularly known as DC, has rocked the Auto Expo 2008 with his two unique creations: Ambierod and Supercar.

DC created ripples with his James Bond car for the movie 'Die Another Day' and a prototype of the Aston Martin AMV8 in 2003, was the Indian answer to the car designers of the west.

However the Ambierod and Supercar, priced at Rs. 4 crores (1,018,071 US Dollars) and Rs. 25 lakhs (63,629 US Dollars), are a little too steep according to Indian standards. But then one needs to spend something extra for the exclusivity.

"Well, designer cars excite people because they are unique, they are exclusive and I feel there is a huge market, not many people are catering to the market because you need lot of depth and skills to make cars that are desirable,” said Dilip Chhabria.

“But globally we have seen that limited edition cars, designer cars, are really very much in demand because that caters to human psyche of giving him something that others don't have," he added.

The car modification industry in India as compared to the west is still in a nascent stage and experts are unanimous that matters will start looking up as there is more disposable with people.

Cars can be modified to suit one's pocket with a small investment and local designers can make a staid Esteem look like a Hot Rod that Vin Diesel drove in the movie Fast and the Furious.

Companies like San Motors cater to this growing segment in the Indian market.

"I think it has huge potential. We have seen it with DC who has come up over the years. We have seen it with lot of car modification guys who have come up and they have now made a proper business out of it. Just five years is all it has taken for the Indian consumers to really start growing and spending a little extra to modify their cars and beautify their cars," said Pavan Puri, modifier and distributor of San Motors.

About 150,000 auto buffs are expected to visit the show.

Rising incomes and new models are boosting car sales in India where only 8 people in every 1,000 own a car, compared to 300-500 in many western countries.

Annual passenger vehicle sales are forecast to double to 2 million units by 2010. Small cars currently make up nearly two-thirds of the domestic market. (ANI)