Headlining the annual Sydney motor show was the surprise unveiling of the Holden HSV Coupe4 – an all-wheel drive two-door powered by a 5.7 litre V8 engine.
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The new model, based on the Monaro, is the first application of Holden’s newly developed all-wheel-drive platform to a “low-ride” car.
Retiring Holden boss Peter Hanenberger said he regarded the Coupe4 as a fitting swansong to his career and had ordered a left hand drive version as his personal transport upon return to Germany.
Hanenberger was reponsible for bringing the original Monaro concept to market and securing the deal to export 18,000 of the coupes per year to the United States in Pontiac GTO form.
Rival Ford showed the first complete prototype of its forthcoming Territory sports-utility vehicle, including the first look at the interior.
The 4.0-litre six-cylinder powered Territory is a unique design developed in Australia and will go on sale mid-2004.
Ford Australia President Geoff Polites said the company has received a boost from the news that its Falcon range had outsold Holden’s all-conquering Commodore for the first time in 72 months.
Polites said however that the company’s focus was primarily on making a profit and successfully bringing the Territory to market.
The Australian automotive industry is entering a newly self-confident era with the recent news that both Mitsubishi and Toyota are setting up R&D centres Down Under.
Other major announcements included the surprise Asia-Pacific debut of the Alfa Romeo GT coupe, along with the Bentley Continental GT, Maserati Quattroporte and MG Xpower SV-R.
Bentley Motors in Singapore says it has already taken more than 200 firm deposits from Australians for the Continental GT.
In 2002 Bentley sold just 25 cars in Australia.
The annual Sydney show attracts more than 300,000 people each year, and its organisers claims it is better attended per capita than the “A” shows in Europe – Australia has 19 million people.
The show is being held at a time of record vehicle sales in Australia.
The country’s Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries last week predicted that more than 900,000 vehicles will be delivered by the end of the year – easily beating the previous sales record of 824,000 set last year.
