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2003 Sydney Motor Show
By: Drew Phillips
Photos by Alfie Cavallaro and Andrew Dilley
December 18, 2003

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The autumn months are a busy time for the auto makers. Frankfurt, Tokyo, and Essen are only some of the international auto shows that perennially catch the attention of the automotive faithful around the world. While most of the action occurs in Europe and Asia, the southern hemisphere also has its share of concept cars and new models. This October over 250,000 blokes and sheilas from the Land of Oz attended the annual Sydney Motor Show, making it one of the largest ever. An incredible 90,000 were in attendance the opening day of the show, and over 17,000 people logged into the official web site to watch new vehicles be introduced on the "invite only" industry day.

In fact, the entire automotive industry in Australia seems to be at an all time high. A total of 660,000 new vehicles were purchased in the first nine months of the year, and a total of 900,000 cars are expected to be sold by the end of the year. This will surpass the record set last year of nearly 825,000. The sales didn't stop when people entered the Sydney Convention Center. High-end manufacturers Bentley, Maserati, Lamborghini, and Ferrari all reported sales, and a total of $23.5 million worth of cars were sold during the event, yet another new record. Maserati sold 3/4 of its Quattroporte allocation at the show, and Lamborghini had no trouble finding a few buyers for its newly released Gallardo. The Aussies seem to be in the mood for expensive cars more than ever.

Ferrari had one of the largest stands at the show, displaying its new 360 Stradale next to a regular Modena. A 575M was also in attendance as well as a 456M GT, a model soon to be replaced by the 612 Scaglietti. Those who attended last year's show were somewhat disappointed, however, with the absence of the Enzo, F50, and F40 that wowed everyone the year before. Ferrari-owned Maserati was proud to display its new Quattroporte, one of the fastest 4-door sedans in the world, alongside its Spyder and Coupe models. The Quattroporte features a 4.2 liter V8 producing a solid 400 hp, and it can top out at over 170 mph. The ultimate four-door sedan at the show, however, was brought by Bentley. Two beautiful Continental GT's were extremely popular with the crowd, and eighteen lucky people even put in an order for one. Bentley will deliver their cars in 2005. Lastly, Lamborghini was also a crowd favorite, with the Gallardo being voted by attendees as the most popular car of the show.

For those who don't have $400,000 burnin a hole in their pocket, several cheaper alternatives were displayed at the show. Australian's own Holden and its performance division HSV introduced a brand new all-wheel-drive sports sedan. The HSV Coupe 4 is the first all-wheel-drive coupe to be produced in Australia. Based off HSV's rear-wheel-drive coupe, the 4 utilizes the Cross Trac all-wheel-drive system from the HSV Avalanche. To utilize the AWD application, HSV engineers had to completely engineer a new suspension set-up for the car. Power comes from the legendary LS1 V8 which produces a healthy 367 hp and 350 lb-ft torque. A 4-speed automatic is the only transmission offered. Production on the Coupe 4 will start in June of 2004. Other Holden models at the show included a 25th anniversary edition of the Commodore.

Ford's Australian division brought an impressive line-up as well in the form of three cars developed by the Ford Performance Division (FPV). The bright yellow FPV Pursuit is reminiscent of the Ford Falcon Super Pursuit of the 1960's. Described as a "coupe utility" by Ford and featuring a 5.4 liter V8 engine, the it offers a serious dose of performance mixed with practicality. The GT and GT-P rounded out the offering from Ford's FPV division.

Besides the Australian-specific cars at the show there were several other makes and models for show goers to feast their eyes on. BMW brought its lightweight, performance-oriented M3 CSL along with its other models including the new 5-Series. Alfa Romeo showed off its 147 GTA and brand new GT, and MG displayed its XPower SV that was painted a bright yellow to match its aggressive looks. MG started taking orders for the car in November. Gemballa and Carlsson were among the tuners at the show, with Gemballa showcasing several of its new products for the 911 Turbo and Cayenne, and the Mercedes tuner proudly displaying a well-modified SL 500.

Also on display were a wide variety of concept cars. Toyota brought its FXS Concept that was introduced at the 2002 NAIAS. It represents Toyota's drive towards developing a next generation sports car for the future. Its combination of sleek looks, 4.3 liter V8, and 6-speed sequential transmission will hopefully be found in an upcoming car. Also from Toyota was the Fine-S Fuel-Cell Concept that was introduced less than a year ago at Detroit. Subaru brought its recent B11S Concept with its controversial styling and twin-turbo flat-6 engine producing 400 hp.

The Sydney Motor Show isn't a stage for introducing new concept cars to the world. It doesn't have the newest supercars on display like the Mercedes SLR or Porsche Carrera GT. Even some car companies don't show like Porsche and Jaguar did this year. However, the show has been getting bigger and bigger, and Australians are buying not only more cars but more expensive cars as well. The popularity of this year's show is proof that the our mates from Down Under are just as crazy about cars as the rest of us.