Australia's premium automotive festival, Motorclassica, is set to crank into overdrive at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne from October 7-9, with an incredible lineup of machinery confirmed.
The multi-million-dollar showcase covers all aspects of the motoring spectrum, from golden era vintage rarities to the latest and greatest hypercars, with the reimagined event returning after a two-year hiatus.
BMW will take centre stage in celebrating 50 years of its M high-performance division, with display items including the world's first-ever BMW XM, M3 Touring and the fully electric i4 M50.
Of special interest, the marque will have an example of a new model which has yet to make its world premiere, with it being presented in a special "closed room" setting onsite.
From the celebration of Ferrari's 75th anniversary, through to the 60th birthday of Shelby American, other milestones to be featured include 110 years of Bertone, as well as special features on all things Lotus, Porsche and Muscle Car.
"It's incredibly exciting to finally arrive at show week for Motorclassica 2022, we are very proud of the fine cross-section of cars and motorcycles we have been able to assemble for the event," said Jon Treherne, Motorclassica Event Director.
"While the machinery will forever be the stars of the show, we have worked hard to craft many exciting side shows and activities that will add to the experience of visitors.
"Attractions such as the Trak Racer Interactive Zone will be joined by a great selection of specialist retail outlets, while the Motorclassica stage will once again be a highlight.
"We have been blown away by the response in the lead-up to the event, and we can't wait to see everyone from Friday."
Within the massive Concours gathering, special focus will be given to classes such as the Golden Age of Motoring up to 1918, Vintage and Post War through to 1945, Post War up until 1960, New Age Classics – British and European (1961 – '80), Modern Classics (1981 – '92), Supercars (1992 and on), American plus Australian Classics from the period covering 1950 through '80, as well as two divisions of Classics from the Track.
New for 2022 is the Icons of Speed feature, which covers the modern hypercar era, with numerous hero cars set to star.
Representing the breed will be a 2023 Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut, a 2021 Mercedes Benz AMG GT Black Series "Project 1" Edition, plus a McLaren P1, amongst others.
Two other major attractions courtesy of Euro Motorsports will be the Praga R1 T EVO race car, as presented in an exposed carbon finish, plus a modified Mercedes AMG GTR EMS1000, which produces over 1,000hp.
At the other end of the scale, the showcase of vehicles over a century old continues the tradition of first-class showpieces at Motorclassica.
Examples include a 1902 Thomas Model 17 Detachable Rear Entry Tourer, a 1904 Napier L48 Samson, a 1909 Schacht Model K Buggy, a 1909 Sizaire et Naudin two-seater roadster, and others.
For the lovers of all things two-wheels, there will be a fantastic array covering both the new and old, with two motorcycle lines set to be launched, namely the incredible Aston Martin AMB 001 and the Lawrence, Brough Superiors' first two-seater motorcycle.
Another fresh addition to Motorclassica is the Marque Park, with premium Australian Car Club culture on display in the forecourt of the Melbourne Museum, while the outside display on Saturday will become the focal point of the Ferrari Club Australia's 50th birthday celebrations and the marques 75th anniversary parade.
The parade of 75 Ferraris will depart from Icon Park on Royal Parade in Carlton at 9.30am with the lead cars expected to arrive via the Rathdowne Street entrance from 9.45am.
On the Saturday evening, Motorclassica will host the Shannons Rare Number Plate Auction from 7pm where 20 collectible number plates and a selection of sought-after memorabilia and motoring merchandise will go under the hammer.
One of the most desirable plates from the night will be the Victorian three digit '388' with its ABB combination. While other 3-digit plates include '363', '428', '774' and '929'. Other 'notable' plate combinations headed to auction include the numerically pleasing six-digit 100.222 and 100.333.
A Renault Alpine Star Boot once belonging to and personally signed by Aussie F1 superstar Daniel Ricciardo will be up for grabs. Ricciardo is well known for his trademark "shoey" podium celebrations, which began following his German Grand Prix win back in 2016.
