Australian Motoring Festival a Hit, Organizers Say

Australia’s latest effort at staging a national motor show has been hailed a success despite only attracting half the predicted numbers.

The inaugural 4-day Australian Motoring Festival at the Melbourne Showgrounds drew 25,000 visitors.

The festival, a joint initiative between the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC) and the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria, featured test drives and simulations. Visitors had an opportunity to get behind the wheel and drive vehicles on two test tracks, one on-road and one off-road.

More than 30% of patrons took part in an interactive drive experience.

The event was organized after the cancellation of the Australian International Motor Show. It took over from the separate Melbourne and Sydney shows and was intended to alternate between the two cities, but was canceled because of lack of industry and public interest.

VACC Executive Director Geoff Gwilym says the latest festival was an opportunity for the public to connect with the automotive industry in a new and engaging way.

Ferrari, which featured A$30 million ($22.9 million) worth of its vehicles, says the festival was a positive experience, while Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific called it the perfect platform to demonstrate and display its latest technology and products.

Toyota Australia Regional Marketing Manager Jeremy Watson says there was a consistently high volume of foot traffic at the Toyota stand and the company received many sales inquiries from the public.

“We’re looking forward to the event growing bigger and better in future years,” Watson says in a statement.