1983 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur Reviews

So what do you buy when you've got a lazy million or so to drop on a ride? A sensible answer to that question may be several cars to cover all occasions — say, a BMW 335i coupe, a 911 Carrera S, a Maserati GranSport and a Bentley Arnage. Not much chance of getting caught short with that combo.But for 200 people on this planet in the next 12 months, it will be a Rolls-Royce Drophead Coupe, the two-door/four-seat convertible whose local launch was held in Melbourne.For the truly selective, just 25 will be built, only a Rolls-Royce Silver Phantom will make the grade.Two of these ultra-exclusive Rollers, produced to mark the 100th anniversary of the original Silver Ghost, have been designated for Australia.One is already sold, and the other is the subject of intensive inquiry at Trivett Classic Sydney.Price, as they say, on application.This modern homage to the Silver Ghost, which was built between 1907 and 1925 and attained legendary status in its own lifetime, is finished in a new bespoke paint, Metallic Ghost Silver.Its 21-inch wheels have chrome centres, and on top of the grille sits a hallmarked, solid-silver Spirit of Ecstasy mascot.Inside, Rose Leaf or Creme Light leather is accompanied by seat piping and headrests embroidered with the R-R emblem.Straight-grained Santos Palisander wood veneer is used throughout. The same veneer is also used on a specially designed presentation box that contains the key, two solid-silver key fobs and a specially commissioned solid-silver Conway Stewart fountain pen.Don't, in other words, go parking it overnight on the street.Comparatively commonplace, the Drophead Coupe is the real-life manifestation of the 100EXconvertible concept.“It has received an overwhelming response, with our 2007 production fully allocated and only a few build slots left for 2008,” Rolls-Royce Asia Pacific regional director Colin Kelly says, reassuring those who may have thought it in danger of Corolla-like ubiquity.“It's entirely true to the values of Rolls-Royce and attracts a new segment of discerning clients.”Although R-R reckons more than half the orders placed for the Drophead are from customers who have never owned a Rolls-Royce, it's some way beyond your and my humble understanding of 'entry-level.'The Drophead is, of course, hand-crafted using top-drawer materials to R-R's exacting standards and is modelled on the J-class racing yachts of the 1930s.Indeed, there's a rear deck of teak. The bonnet is machine-brushed before being hand-finished to ensure a uniform grain throughout.A picnic boot has a split tail compartment that opens in two parts, giving easy access to 315 litres of space. The lower tailgate provides a comfortable seating platform for two adults when it's folded down.A fabric hood, the largest on any modern convertible car, uses five layers of material to insulate the interior.Coach-style, rear-hinged doors let you step aboard elegantly rather than fall into the the car.At the heart of this uber-ragtop is a 6.75-litre V12 that produces most of its 338kW from just 1000rpm. Shorter than the existing Phantom, the Drophead should also outstrip its 6.1-second sprint time to 100km/h.Price? If you have to ask, you can't afford it.But, since you did, it's $1.19 million. Plus on-roads, of course. 

They have not driven the latest and greatest from Rolls-Royce, and most haven't even seen the real thing, but they just know they have to have a Drophead Coupe. Even if it costs them a whacking $1.2 million.The Australian list price for the new ultra-luxury four-seat convertible is $1.19 million — before you go tripping into the sort of special toys and finishing touches that most Rolls-Royce owners will want for their new car.What does that buy you?Apart from the badge and the winged lady mascot on top of the best-known grille on the road, it buys one of the most outrageously rewarding cars in the world in 2007.The Drophead Coupe is a glorious way to go open-air cruising and would be the best way to make a jaw-dropping arrival at any five-star hotel or invitation-only event anywhere in Australia, even if the other invitees made their entrances in a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, or even a Bentley.It will also power to 100km/h in 5.7 seconds and has a top speed of 240km/h — as if those numbers really matter.“There has always been a pinnacle of the motor industry, and we have responded by positioning this car back at that pinnacle,” says Rolls-Royce Motor Cars chairman Ian Robertson. “I am sure there are many sceptics who said, `Rolls-Royce, made by BMW, we'll see', and now they can see.”Typical buyers are likely to have around $15million in play money, five to eight cars in the garage and could be aged anywhere from 17 to their 70s. Robertson mentions the two Saudi princes who recently bought Phantoms for their 17th birthdays, as well as high-profile Australian Phantom owners John Laws and Lindsay Fox.He also has numbers on the number of dot.com millionaires, Chinese entrepreneurs, Australian resource barons and even the 1000-plus money-market successes who received bonuses of more than $2.5 million in London last year. Robertson says about half of Drophead Coupe owners will be new to the Rolls-Royce brand, a big breakthrough for a company that is going through some of the most dramatic growth in its history.It built 805 cars last year, has a rash of new models in the works and is expecting to deliver more than $100 million worth of convertibles this year.“We're planning to do 100 to 120 (more) cars this year,” Robertson says. “Our total production this year will be an increase, although 900 might be stretching it a bit. So somewhere around 850 or a little above.”It is almost impossible to put the Drophead Coupe into any sort of realistic perspective, but it is a wonderful car that lives up to the Rolls-Royce tradition and also pushes the envelope. It all starts with an aluminium spaceframe chassis, which makes the Rolls-Royce convertible as rigid as anything in the world without a roof.The features climb through air-suspension and a 6.7-litre V12 engine and six-speed automatic, to the finishing touches of brushed steel, nautical teak, wood veneer, sumptuous leather and even a five-layer convertible top trimmed with cashmere.And there is lots of high-tech stuff, including electronic stability control, anti-skid brakes, a one-touch top that opens or closes in 25 seconds and the Rolls-Royce version of BMW's finicky iDrive.But buyers are more likely to be won by the analogue clock, the electric buttons to close the suicide doors (“We prefer to call them coach doors,” says Robertson), the custom-made umbrellas, a “picnic table” boot, which will hold 170kg, and 20-inch alloy wheels with centre caps which never turn, so as to keep the Rolls-Royce logo upright and central at all times.The Drophead is not the most beautiful car on the road, but it has a brutal elegance. The side-on view is more like a luxury motor boat and, for the first time in the company's history — the grille is tilted back slightly, for smoother airflow and pedestrian safety. But Rolls-Royce insists the Drophead Coupe is a still a car to be driven and enjoyed.On the road there is no denying it is a brilliant car, despite a nose which would look right at home on the front of a new Kenworth truck and the difficulty of parking with the top up.Rolls-Royce ran the global press preview in Tuscany, in gorgeous country with surprisingly challenging roads, which reflected the quality of the basic engineering and the incredible attention to detail you have to expect in a car with such a price tag.The Drophead is no sports car, yet it can be punted along surprisingly briskly and never turns unruly or ugly. The best way to drive is to conduct the car using a couple of fingers on the narrow-spoked wheel, easing it through turns and occasionally uncorking the 338kW for some fun on the straights. It is a giant — 5.6m long and 2620kg — but it can be nimble and has ideal suspension design and control for the worst road conditions.The Drophead is also quiet with the top down at 160km/h, has boot space for three sets of golf clubs and can easily hold four adults in exceptional comfort.Two things won me over. The first was a 10km run down a nasty gravel road, which would have made an ideal stage in the World Rally Championships. The second was a quick run in a BMW 760i.The dirt burst proved that the Drophead coupe is rock-solid, composed, dust-proof and relaxing on a road that would have had a Commodore or Falcon sliding, bumping and bucking. And the airconditioning and satnav was great. The BMW? It felt cramped, cheap and unrefined after the Rolls-Royce, yet it is still one of the world's very best cars.So the Drophead, despite the price, 18.8 litres per 100km consumption, outrageous styling and the sort of people who drive Rolls-Royces, is a great car at a time when the cars of the world have never been better. Fast factsRolls-Royce Phantom Drophead CoupePrice: $1.19 millionOn sale: nowBody: two-door convertible, four seatsEngine: 6.7-litre V12, 338kW@5350rpm, 720Nm@3500rpmTransmission: six-speed automatic, rear-wheel-driveWeight: 2620kgPerformance: 0-100km/h, 5.9sec; top speed, 240km/hFuel: 18.8L/100km (as tested) 

Fewer still can say the first car they owned was one of them.And I'm not talking about a garden variety Ford or Holden, but a little known British marque that has not been seen here for over 50 years.As a motoring scribe I was tickled pink to find out that my my old man's first car was in fact a Riley sports car.How cool is that?Kevin bought the car at age 19 from a girl in Goulburn for 90 pounds, using money he'd had saved as a professional singer and performer.My father I should explain was a man who changed cars almost as frequently as he changed his undies.As a child I have fond memories of the endless stream of treasures that graced our driveway, my earlier memories being of a huge slope backed Peugeot.I guess my father's love of cars must have rubbed off on me.Kev has fond memories of his 1929 two-seat Riley 9 Tourer which also came with a pop up "dickey" seat.There's a couple of stories that go with the car, like the time he rescued his girlfriend from falling out by grabbing her hair in the nick of time as the door swung open going around a corner.Or how about the time the car caught fire in the middle of crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge.The first Riley automobile - a small voiturette with a single-cylinder engine - was made in Coventry, England in 1898.Production however didn't commence until around 1905.Riley automobiles were marketed under the banner "as old as the industry, as modern as the hour".Percy Riley, who was responsible for the first Riley, patented many engineering features later incorporated by other manufacturers, and designed the famous Riley '9' engine first seen in 1926.He also patented detachable wheel used universally today which meant in the event of a puncture the wheel could be changed for a spare (in the early days of motor transport wheels were a permanent fixture).The wheel caught on quickly and Rolls- Royce took out a license to manufacture it, along with at least eight other manufacturers.Lord Nuffield bought the company after it went into receivership in 1938 for 143,000 pounds.He immediately sold it to Morris Motors which soon became the Nuffield Organisation - a combination of Morris, MG, Wolsley and Riley.Earlier Rileys of the 1920s and 1930s were noted for their flowing, sporting lines as well as sprightly performance which earned them such an illustrious competition career.Production of Riley's continued into the 1960s but later cars were Rileys in little more than name only, with the Riley griller and higher level of specification.BMC even produced upmarket Riley ver- sions of the Morris 1100 called the Kestrel and, get this - a version of the Mini called the Elf, the latter billed as "magnificent motoring in miniature".Don't know what ever became of Dad's Riley?He said he sold the car to two brothers who had plans to convert the roadster into a utility of all things. 

The Ocean Drive concept was rated only an outside chance for showrooms, until Rolls-Royce confirmed production plans for the Phantom Drophead Coupe at the show this week. It's a move that's sure to spark interest among mega-rich fans of open-air motoring.The British company is already talking about waiting lists and long delays in Australia, despite a price beyond $1 million, and it will probably be a similar story in many other country, with multi-millionaires racing to get their hands on the Phantom convertible. The Rolls-Royce announcement was predictable, even if it did not bring the expected return of the Corniche name that has been previously used for open-air Rollers.But that did not stop an instant reply at the Mercedes-Benz stand."It looks as if Rolls-Royce is going to be responsible for Mercedes buyers getting their hands on our new convertible," a Mercedes-Benz US source says. "It is almost certain to get the go-ahead now."The big Benz is being displayed only as a concept in Detroit, but is clearly more than just a dream machine.It shows Mercedes' thinking on everything from body styling to the pillarless side panels needed to make the car a workable production model. They anchor the rear doors and ensure the sort of access to the back seat every other convertible and coupe owners can only dream about.Based on earlier show-to-road programs, it will probably take about three years for Mercedes to transform the concept to a production model. It is based on the S-Class but has different styling, even from the super-expensive CL coupe about to go on sale in Australia.It is much more bluff, with giant wheels and a two-tone paint job that are unlikely to make it to production.But the upright grille could easily make it through the system in Germany, along with the electric folding soft-top roof and Benz's "airscarf" heating system that blows warm air over the occupants' necks.

Michael Schumacher retired with seven world championships, but 007 is up to 21 movies — with six different macho men in the role — and still going hard.During the past quarter-century and in 21 official films, Bond has been the target of more bad guys on wheels than anyone else in cinema history, yet he has always managed to escape without a scratch.And he has often pulled a nifty U-turn on the opposition with some sort of car trickery, from concealed machine guns on a 1960s Aston Martin to an '80s Lotus Esprit that morphed into a submarine — and even a remote-controlled BMW 7 Series in the '90s.Now he's back for the noughties, and doing it again in the remake of Casino Royale, which opened in cinemas just before Christmas. And he's back in an Aston Martin, just like the early days.The hype for the new 007 movie got me thinking not only about Bond's wheelwork in the latest British supercar, but also the dream car of my childhood: a scale model of the Aston Martin DB5 Bond drove in the 1960s.It came with all the Bond gear — revolving number plates, concealed machine guns, tyre-slashers, a bulletproof rear shield and even an ejector seat.In 1965, Corgi released its scale model of the gadget-laden DB5, and by 1968 nearly four million copies had been sold.It remains Corgi's best-known model, and I couldn't afford it.The release of the 21st-century Casino Royale has triggered a lot of talk about 007 and cars and movies.The model-making machine is already rolling again, with scaled-down copies of the DBS and even re-done — but de-gadgeted — replicas of the original DB5. And this time, there was a tiny Aston in my Christmas stocking.It's worth looking at what Bond cameos have done for car companies.BMW experienced plenty of benefit when it signed a multi-movie deal that began with its baby Z3 convertible. The world saw the car first when it was driven on the big screen by Bond. That deal continued with the Z8 convertible and the controversially styled 7, and even a BMW motorcycle.But then Britain bounced back for the last of Pierce Brosnan's appearances as Bond, when he slid back into an Aston and the baddies strapped into a rocket-equipped Jaguar.This time around, Agent 007 is driving a gorgeous new DBS, and there's even a special appearance by an original DB5.A poll has been conducted for the television series Top Gear on the most popular car chase in Bond movie history. And the winner is ... no, not the Aston. Not a Jaguar, nor the Lotus, nor even one of the BMWs.First choice was a crazy little Citroen 2CV that suffered all sorts of punishment — including being cut in half — when it was driven by Roger Moore in the 1981 film For Your Eyes Only. The four-wheeled co-stars:Dr No (1962): Sunbeam Alpine, Chevrolet Bel AirconvertibleFrom Russia With Love (1963): Bentley Mark IVGoldfinger (1964): Aston Martin DB5, Rolls-Royce, Mercedes 190SL, Lincoln Continental, Ford Mustang convertible, Rolls-Royce Phantom IIIThunderball (1965): Aston Martin DB5, Ford Mustang convertible, BSA Lightning motorcycle, gyrocopter1967 You Only Live Twice: Toyota 2000 GT, BMW CSOn Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969): Aston Martin DBS, Mercury Cougar, Bentley S2 Continental, Rolls-Royce CornicheDiamonds Are Forever (1971): Ford Mustang Mach 1, Triumph Stag, moon buggyLive And Let Die (1973): double-decker London bus, Chevrolet Impala convertible, MiniMokeThe Man With The Golden Gun (1974): AMC Hornet and Matador, Rolls-Royce Silver ShadowThe Spy Who Loved Me (1977): Lotus Esprit, Wetbike concept, Ford Cortina Ghia, Mini MokeMoonraker (1979): Bentley Mark IV, Rolls-Royce SilverWraithFor Your Eyes Only (1981): Citroen 2CV, Lotus Esprit Turbo, Rolls-Royce Silver WraithOctopussy (1983): Mercedes-Benz 250 SE, BMW 5 Series, Alfa Romeo GTVA View To A Kill (1985): Renault taxi, Ford LTD, Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II, Chevrolet Corvette C4The Living Daylights (1987): Aston Martin DBS and V8 Vantage, Audi 200 QuattroLicence To Kill (1989): Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, Kenworth petrol tankerGoldenEye (1995): BMW Z3, Aston Martin DB5, Russian tank, Ferrari 355Tomorrow Never Dies (1997): Aston Martin DB5, BMW 750iL, BMW R1200C motorcycleThe World Is Not Enough (1999): BMW Z8, Rolls-Royce Silver ShadowDie Another Day (2002): Aston Martin Vanquish, Jaguar XKR, Ford Thunderbird convertibleCasino Royale (2006): Aston Martin DBS and DB5, Jaguar E-type roadster, Fiat Panda 4x4, Ford Transit, Ford Mondeo

The $US2.2 million ($2.8 million) built-to-order stretch Rolls-Royce Phantom boasts state-of-the art gadgets including an LCD entertainment system. It also has two rows of rear seats, facing each other. "It was the most expensive car we've ever done," says Robertson. He wouldn't disclose the name of the buyer.Robertson was in Hong Kong last week for the unveiling of a fleet of 14 new Phantoms for the city's Peninsula Hotel, the world's largest such order. They were built to meet the luxury hotel's needs, including larger boots for luggage and refrigerators for chilled towels, Robertson says.The total amount of the deal was not disclosed.China has overtaken Japan as Rolls-Royce's biggest Asian market, with 60 per cent sales growth this year as the country's newly rich entrepreneurs splash out to display their wealth.

The striking little yellow Dongfeng D120 was a star at this week's Beijing motor show, the largest auto show in the massive Chinese market.The D120 was one of 15 cars at the show from Dongfeng, a major Chinese manufacturer. It has joint ventures with Citroen, Nissan and Honda.The show opened last Sunday amid rocketing sales with few signs that growing traffic congestion, pollution and rising oil prices were clouding the future of the industry.While international producers unveiled their latest products, the Chinese were displaying more than 180 domestic-made vehicles. Many of them are hoping that their inexpensive cars may one day find their way into global markets.Australian importer Ateco is looking at bringing Chinese-made cars Down Under within the next two years.Cars like the Geely, Great Wall, Chery and Red Flag are enjoying an almost 25 per cent market share in China, according to Xinhua news agency reports this week.After years of growth, China is the world's second largest car market after the US.In the first 10 months of 2006, 5.89 million cars were produced and 5.77 million cars sold in China, figures up 27 per cent and 26 per cent respectively from January-October 2005, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.If this trend does continue, China will have 100 million cars on its roads by 2020, up from43 million in 2005, a phenomenon that will cause severe pollution unless stricter emission controls are implemented, Xinhua says.More than 500,000 potential car buyers are expected to attend the 10-day show, many of them first-time buyers.International prestige brands are at the show keen to sell to the country's wealthy who are proud, and keen to flaunt their riches.It is this fast-growing generation of mainly under 35-year-old, self-made tycoons that the world's top luxury carmakers have now firmly set their sights on."We have more than 300,000 millionaires in China, so I think it's a good number for us to go into the market," Stephan Winkelmann, president and CEO of Lamborghini, says.Rolls Royce sales are up 50 per cent from last year and China has become its third largest market after the US and Britain, says Ian Robertson, chairman and chief executive."It is growing dramatically. There is a fast growing number of very rich people in this country," Robertson says.And sales in China, including Hong Kong, at 65 vehicles out of its global total of about 800, represented "nearly 10 per cent of our business," Robertson says.Porsche, which entered China in 2001, sold 857 cars in China last year and says it expects that figure to double this year.However, the show also comes as a new report shows there are problems with local production. Defects have been found in 77 per cent of domestically made cars, largely due to a price war forcing manufacturers to cut corners, according to an industry survey which was released this week.The range of defects, found within six months of the car being bought, involved tyres, airconditioning, brakes, locks and steering wheels, the China Daily newspaper reported, citing as its source the 2006 China Automobile Customer Satisfaction Index."The defects are a result of car makers constantly reducing prices and sacrificing quality," the paper quoted Fan Tianshun, director of the China Quality Association, which conducted the poll, as saying.For every 100 new cars, there were an average of 338 defects, much higher than last year's figure of 246.On average, China's car prices have dropped about 10,000 yuan ($A1250) per car each year over "the past few years" as manufacturers try to compete in the the booming market, the paper writes.Defects were more prevalent in cheaper cars in the 30,000 yuan ($A5000) to the 50,000 yuan ($A8240) range, such as China's Geely, Chery QQ and the Changan Alto.But fewer defects in more expensive cars helped result in customer satisfaction for China's domestically-built automobiles growing by 0.1 per cent so far this year over the figures reported in 2005. The index was based on a poll of 4648 participants in 36 cities this year, the paper reported.AFP 

But now the country's new rich are proud, and are keen to flaunt their wealth.It is this fast-growing generation of self-made tycoons that the world's top luxury carmakers have set their sights on as they flock to the Chinese capital this week for the Auto China show, which opened today."We have over 300,000 millionaires in China, so I think it's a good number for us to go into the market," said Stephan Winkelmann, president and chief executive officer of Italian luxury sports car maker Lamborghini.China's passenger car sales have been growing strongly, at 26.4 per cent in the first nine months of the year, amid a burgeoning affluent class and a desire by those who have made it to flaunt their hard-earned cash.Rolls Royce sales are up 50 per cent from last year and China has become its third largest market after the United States and Britain, said Ian Robertson, chairman and chief executive."It is growing dramatically," he said. "There is a very fast growing number of very rich people in this country."Sales in China, including Hong Kong, at 65 vehicles out of its global total of around 800, was "nearly 10 per cent of our business," Robertson said.Porsche, which entered China in 2001, sold 857 cars in China last year and said it expected that figure to double in 2006.With price tags ranging from $US377,215 ($A492,801) to $US554,430 ($A724,319), Lamborghini has sold just 25 cars since it started selling here two years ago but Winkelmann said the company expected to sell 30 each year in the near future.Their Chinese clientele tend to be male entrepreneurs under 35, and were developing a discerning taste for luxury brands, while at the same time were keen to show off their wealth, the executives said."There is lot of peer pressure here... you've got to have this, you've got to have that... by positioning our brand, we're attracting a lot of business that way," said Mark Bishop, managing director of Porsche China.And the prestigious brand forays into China are as much about testing the market in the untapped territory which they believe has tremendous potential, even if business is not immediately profitable."It's not so much selling the cars these days but getting to know the market... get to know how they live, eat, what their hobbies are," Winkelmann said."This market is going to explode in terms of high luxury and super sports cars so I think in years to come, there is a big potential in volume."But distribution of wealth in China is extremely unequal and the sources of the fortunes of its new rich are often questionable.With nearly 200 million people in China living below the World Bank's poverty line of one US dollar per person per day, the nation's richest 10 per cent are enjoying 45 per cent of the country's wealth.There is also a disproportionately large number of Chinese tycoons on Forbes' rich lists over the years who have been linked to graft scandals.International firms said it was no business of theirs to judge a client's background."I don't think these are the things you can be overly worried about, because you can't change your market positioning for that," Bishop said."We don't look into their history. They have got the money to buy, it's not the issue of the car industry to blame them, it's someone else's business," Winkelmann said."This is a phase in the economic growth of the country," he said.While millions in China cannot afford their own luxury cars now, there is nothing to stop them from dreaming owning a Porsche, a revolution in itself given that such dreams were once an anathema to the ruling communists.And this was evident at this year's auto show where hundreds of ordinary citizens thronged to the exhibition where many could not afford a ticket to get in the door and hung about outside in the hope of getting a free pass."I can't afford it, but I just want to look at the new models. I love cars and it gives me great satisfaction just looking at them," said 36-year-old driver Li Jinshui.AFP

Twenty five of the Bespoke cars, called Phantom Black, have been hand built at Goodwood in England. They feature lustrous metallic "Diamond Black" paintwork, 21-inch alloy wheels and visible tail pipes. Under the bonnet the 6.75 litre V12 engine has gloss black inlet manifolds, chrome plated top covers and new black Rolls-Royce badges. The company boasts the motor is almost silent while pumping out 337kW and can sprint from 0-100km/h in 5.7sec with a limited top speed of 239km/h. It might be bling outside and muscle under the bonnet, but inside, it is still all gentlemen's club with soft black leather upholstery edged with "Seashell" piping, black ash wood veneer and silver pinstripe on the door capping. However, the steering wheel has a slightly thicker rim, hinting at its sporting dynamics. All 25 Phantom Blacks have been snapped up. Who knows; they could feature in the next hip hop video.

It will take nearly eight days to get things set for the 11th show.The cars will not be put in place under spotlights until a couple of hours before the industry preview next Thursday morning, before the public opening at 5pm.The battle for best in show is running hot, though Ford and Holden are still refusing to talk about their cars.Show organiser Russ Tyrie, of the VACC, says: "We still have no idea what they are doing."But there's a group of $1 million-plus exotics, and a concept has been shipped from Europe for the show."I suppose the most expensive car is the Senso (inset) concept. It is probably about $3 million with all the technology," Tyrie says."The most expensive production car at the show is probably a toss-up between the Rolls-Royce Phantom (above), the Maybach 57S and the Pagani Zonda."There are 42 manufacturers this year. The show space was sold out in July. There will be hundreds of cars, so you don't have to work hard to get to $25 million worth of cars."There is plenty of hard work to get the show built and ready."It is almost like building a house in just over a week," Tyrie says. "Many of the stands are very complex, both in their construction and set-up."Some are double-storey and some are shipped in from overseas. Many have audio-visual elements that anyone would love to have as a home theatre."There will also be action outside the show itself, with stunt driver Russ Swift arriving from Britain at the weekend for his second appearance in Melbourne."He will be driving a Peugeot 307 this year. And it promises to be pretty spectacular, Tyrie says.Swift is famous for his high-speed parking, handbrake turns, skids, slide and two-wheeling antics. He will practise in the car park at the exhibition centre from Wednesday, and give four performances each day of the show.This year's event will start at lunchtime on Tuesday with a street parade featuring some of the show's biggest drawcards."We are expecting to have 10 cars in the parade. They will be the most exotic cars from the show and they will all be driven from the corner of Burke and Swanston streets, along Swanston St to Federation Square."The cars will be displayed afterwards and there will be a series of interviews, including one with Russ Swift," Tyrie says.The Melbourne Motor Show opens next Thursday at 5pm and runs until 6pm on February 19.