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Is the Australian motor show making a comeback?

The long-standing 4WD and Adventure shows look to fill the void left since 2012


Australian car buyers will once again have an opportunity to look at and sit in a wide range of new four-wheel drives, as automotive companies begin taking a more active role in 4WD shows around the country.

Big-name brands including Toyota, Land Rover, Nissan, Isuzu, Mazda and Ford will be bringing their latest and most popular four-wheel drive models to Adelaide and Perth 4WD Show & Adventure Shows, allowing punters to once again get up close and personal with a variety of makes in one place.

Such a thing hasn’t been seen in Australia since 2012, when the Sydney International Motor Show had its last run.

“There is synergy with the aftermarket and camping industry, because well, you’ve got to buy the car to start with," said show organiser Peter Woods. “We wouldn’t get the SUV brands coming to the show, but we’ve got the four wheel drive market leaders.”

Without a regular motor show, buyers and enthusiasts are otherwise forced to visit separate dealership showrooms for a chance to sit in a car.

“People just want to come and sit in the cars," said Mr Woods. "They used to love motor shows. We’ve cornered the market, I think.”

The new vehicle displays will run in conjunction with the existing displays of accessories, camping gear, fishing, caravans and camper trailers and various demonstrations.

“The source of the 4WD journey is getting the right vehicle, but you can also talk to the accessory people here, camping and four-wheel driving experts,” said Mr Woods.

Despite the complications brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic, Mr Woods is confident that the Adelaide and Perth 4WD shows will go off without a hitch.

The layout of the show has been reorganised to suit social distancing, with sanitising points, wider entries and exits, and plenty of space down hallways and corridors.

“This will actually make the shows a lot more enjoyable, because of more space,” Mr Woods said.

The Adelaide 4WD Show is on between 23rd and 25th October, at the Adelaide Showground.

The Perth 4WD Show, Australia’s longest-running show in the same location, runs on the 6th to 8th of November, at McCallum Park.

The Sydney 4WD Show is currently waiting for restrictions to ease, but Mr Woods is hopeful that they will be able to operate a show under basic restrictions by September. But until they get the state government go-ahead, a date is on ice.

The full list of vehicles available at the shows are:

Sam Purcell

Sam Purcell has been writing about cars, four-wheel driving and camping since 2013, and obsessed with anything that goes brum-brum longer than he can remember. Sam joined the team at CarAdvice/Drive as the off-road Editor in 2018, after cutting his teeth at Unsealed 4X4 and Pat Callinan’s 4X4 Adventures.

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