10.03.2004 EXOTIC ITALIAN SPORTSCARS TAKE CENTRE STAGE AT THE 70TH MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW

Celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2004, the Melbourne International Motor Show, first started in 1925, is the largest and longest running annual automotive event in Australia. This year, more than ever before, exotic Italian sportscars, including the Maserati Quattroporte, Ferrari 612 Scaglietti and Pagani Zonda C12S, have taken centre stage.

The aquamarina-coloured Maserati Quattroporte, billed as the "World's Most Beautiful Car" after winning the prestigious European Award late last year, was an undoubted star at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, the venue for the Motor Show. Meanwhile, the marque's distributors for Australia, Maranello Imports, found a unique way of celebrating the sportscar maker's 90th anniversary. They flew in the first example of the Maserati Anniversary, a unique model not yet released in Europe or North America. This car has special features and is being produced in very limited numbers. Each one will have an individually-numbered Anniversary plaque and a Commemorative Trident badge fitted.

The Anniversary model on show, a Nero Carbonio Coupé, features aluminium calipers, a carbon fibre interior, carbon fibre door sills with a limited edition commemorative silver plaque, a new sporty dashboard, 7-spoke Grigio Mercury alloys, a chrome grille with red inserts, Skyhook suspension, rear parking sensors and much more. Only 20 of these Coupés and 10 Spyders will be eventually produced.

The new Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, which received its World Premiere in January at the Detroit Motor Show, made its second public appearance after being flown into Melbourne especially for the Motor Show. Named after Sergio Scaglietti, the master sculptor of aluminium in car bodies and responsible for some of the most beautiful Ferraris of the 1950s and 1960s, the 612 is the latest, and tenth generation of Ferrari's magnificent tradition of 12-cylinder, 2+2 sports cars.

Meanwhile, newly formed Motor Group Australia, brought two exotic European models, the 2.5-litre twin turbo Noble M12GTO from Britain and the Pagani Zonda C12S from Italy. At AUS$1.4million the Pagani Zonda, powered by an AMG-tuned 7.3-litre Mercedes-Benz V12, became the most expensive car ever to be displayed at the Melbourne Show.

Finally the presence of Italian sportscar makers was completed by Lamborghini who showed the new 5.0-litre V10 Gallardo, making its Melbourne debut, next to one of the limited edition 6.2-litre V12 40th Anniversary Jade-coloured Murcielagos. Featuring widespread carbon-fibre coatings, anthractite alloy wheels, silver brake calipers, a revised interior and a new exhaust system, only 50 of these cars have been built to commemorate Lamborghini's 40th anniversary.

Elsewhere, in the commercial section of the show, the name of Fiat returned to the Melbourne for the first time in more than a decade with the presentation of the new five-unit Fiat Ducato van range along with several innovation offspring. The distinctive style and roominess of the Fiat Ducato has prompted three local mobile home manufacturers to use it as the base for their products.

Fiat Commercial Vehicles also launched the revolutionary new Fiat Razorback at the show. Based on the Ducato, the Razorback is available in both Van and Utility Truck configurations and features a unique self-lowering and self-raising floor which offers fast, safe, efficient handling across thousands of applications.

As well as the Razorback, and the full range of Ducato commercial vehicles, Fiat also showed the new Trakka Torino Camper.