Paris Auto Show Opens Doors Amid Decline in Sales Carmakers are sure to turn on the charm as the Paris Auto Show prepares to open, in hopes of convincing buyers despite a steady decline in sales around Europe. The country's carmakers will be aiming for the mass market with their launches at the auto show, which has its media preview Thursday. The show opens to the public this weekend. A worker dust off a a Infiniti FX30d in preparation for the upcoming Auto Show in Paris, Wednesday, Sept. The Paris Auto Show opens to the public Saturday Sept. 29 until Oct. 14, 2012. Europe's carmakers could be forgiven for worrying that the slogan for this year's Paris Auto Show, "The Future, Now," is a threat of more gloom and hardship to come than a promise of more prosperous times. (AP Photo/Michel Euler) Close France's Peugeot, Citroen and Renault see the event as a chance to show off their latest models to a hometown crowd. France produced 2.2 million cars last year, compared to 3.5 million in 2005. The industry employs 30 percent fewer people in France than it did 10 years ago. European data show new passenger car registrations dropped 8.9 percent in August, the 11th consecutive monthly decline.