Six brands only at Australian Motoring Festival

The event intended to take the place of Melbourne's motor show appears to have missed its mark.

The traditional indoor auto show may be dead and buried Down Under, but the Australian Motoring Festival which planned to reinvent the concept now looks to have misfired. The event launches tomorrow (March 26, 2015) at the Melbourne Showgrounds but has attracted only a small number of manufacturers.

Billed as "the motorshow that moves" the festival's unique selling point was to offer an interactive experience for showgoers. Although that idea has come to fruition, only Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and local ATV builder TOMCAR, will offer test drives on specially-built tracks.

The Australian Motoring Festival's only other confirmed mainstream exhibitors are Toyota, Isuzu and Ferrari. Some motorcycle manufacturers will also exhibit.

In total the complement represents a fraction of the 60-plus automotive and truck brands represented in Australia.

The festival was developed by the RACV (Royal Auto Club Victoria) and VACC (Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce).

Despite only five car manufacturers signing up for the event, organisers say one of the drawcards will be the "largest Ferrari experience" in the southern hemisphere, including the showing of a LaFerrari.

The centrepiece of the large 2000 square metre Ferrari exhibit will the $3 million LaFerrari hypercar, a 708kW V12 hybrid.

Ferrari's low volume production magnum opus was on display at the recent Australian F1 Grand Prix.

Organisers say that the Ferrari exhibit alone will feature more than $30 million of exotic metal.

Herbert Appleroth, CEO of Ferrari Australasia, said the exhibit at the Australian Motoring Festival will offer something for everyone.

"We are delighted to be bringing more than 2,000 square metres of Ferrari engineering, design and passion to Melbourne," he said.

"Surrounding LaFerrari will be a uniquely Ferrari experience featuring 30 years of Ferrari supercar history, a stunning Ferrari showroom with the latest range of Ferrari road cars, and our Ferrari Kids Zone with interactive displays, racing simulators and slot cars," added Appleroth.

Ferrari held its global "Ferrari Racing Days" event in Australia for the first time in 2014, showcasing everything from its F1 race cars to production vehicles at Sydney Motorsport Park.

The Australian Motoring Festival runs from March 26-29 at the Melbourne Showgrounds, with tickets starting at $30 for adults and $20 for children. Check out AustralianMotoringFestival.com.au for more.