2013 Melbourne Motor Show cancelled

The Melbourne Motor Show, which was set to start on the 28th of June, was officially axed this morning despite a one-city-per-year strategy that meant Sydney would have motor shows on even years and Melbourne on odd.

The lack of a motor show in Australia’s second largest city is a big disappointment to car enthusiasts who’d waited almost two years for the show’s return. Brisbane last held a motor show in 2007.

The issue appears to be a case of marketing budgets being better spent elsewhere, with car companies asked to fork out millions of dollars to exhibit their brand with limited return on investment. According to some sources, it costs a major brand roughly $2 million to set up a motor show stand for 10 days.

The decision to hold both Sydney and Melbourne motor shows within one financial year has also no doubt played a significant role in the event's cancellation.

The best year on record for a Melbourne motor show was in 2004, with over 250,000 attendees, its last event in 2011 resulted in just over 155,000 while the 2012 Sydney motor show managed just 135,000. The declining turnout figures are a worrying sign for the Sydney motor show, which is set to return in 2014.

Around the world many major cities - such as London and Amsterdam - have cancelled motor shows due to poor attendance and growing costs.

Are you disappointed that Melbourne won’t have a motor show this year? Tell us why either way.