SALES revenue of Beijing's auto market in 2011 might shrink by 60 billion yuan (US$9.1 billion) due to the city limiting the number of cars purchased each month, a commerce official said on Saturday.

Car sales revenue will drop to 100 billion yuan in 2011 from last year's 160 billion yuan, Wang Shuxia, of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Commerce, told a meeting of the commission.

A control on car purchases -introduced this year limits new car -license plates to 240,000 in 2011, said Wang.

In 2010, more than 800,000 new cars drove onto Beijing's roads.