Top Marques Line Up For Melbourne

MELBOURNE, Australia – December 10, 2008: Top automotive marques from Europe, Asia and Australia have confirmed their bookings for the 75th annual Melbourne Motor Show from 27 February to 9 March.

Whereas other shows have cancelled or scaled down for 2009, Melbourne Motor Show will fill the Melbourne Exhibition Centre as it has each year since the Centre opened in 1996.

Motor Show director Russ Tyrie said exhibitor bookings for 2009 reflected the desire of many major brands to showcase their cars at a major metropolitan motor show.

"Exhibitor interest proves that many major marques are taking a positive view of our automotive future, despite the tough times of recent months," he said.

"BMW and Volkswagen have taken extra space this year, which reflects the traditional desire of manufacturers to show their latest models to more than 200,000 people in a single event.

"We still have a few potential exhibitors to be confirmed, but those already booked in will ensure a first-rate show for dedicated car enthusiasts and prospective car buyers alike."

Heading the list of high performance and top-end luxury marques are Porsche, Lamborghini, Lotus and Bentley.

Prestige European brands include Alfa Romeo, Peugeot, Renault, Skoda and a strong German contingent comprising Audi, BMW and Volkswagen.

Ford, Holden and Toyota represent the local industry, while the ever-growing contingent of Asian brands includes, Honda, Hyundai, Isuzu Ute, Kia, Lexus, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru and Suzuki.

Melbourne International Motor Show is organised and promoted by the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce through its dealer division the Australian Automobile Dealers Association (Vic).