of the military and American exceptionalism. On the
show floor, there were exhibits that demonstrated fighting
equipment available to the Army, Navy and Marines
Corps. For the next nine years there were no national auto
shows. In 1950, Chicago held the first post-war show,
once again in the International Amphitheatre.
50 YEARS AGO – 58th annual CAS…
February 19-27, 1966
Beginning in 1961, the Chicago show moved from the
International Amphitheatre into the original McCormick
Place along Lake Michigan at 23
rd
Street. The 1966 show
would be the last in that 330,000 square foot building,
as it burned to the ground four weeks before the ’67
show. People attending the 58
th
annual show in 1966
saw the debut of the production Dodge Charger fastback,
which was a mid-year addition to the growing Dodge
Rebellion stable of muscle cars. Nearby, Kaiser took the
wraps off its luxurious Jeep Super Wagoneer 4-wheel
drive model, and Mercedes-Benz unveiled its new 250-
S. Oldsmobile drew crowds with the Toronado, billed as
the first American automobile in modern times to offer
front-wheel drive. Dream cars were now called show
cars and concepts, and in1966, included the Mercury
Comet two-seat Escapade, Ford’s Magic Cruiser two-
door hardtop that transformed into a station wagon,
and the 300x convertible from Chrysler with its front
passenger seat that rotated around to face the back seat. A
crowd favorite, the Chevrolet experimental Mako Shark
II, foretold the styling of the 1968 production Corvette.
Taking center stage in the American Motors exhibit was
the AMX concept, sporting an additional two-passenger
seating in the trunk area called a “Ramble Seat.” Across
the aisle, Studebaker, a brand name that goes back to the
beginning of the auto industry, made its last appearance
when it ceased production later that year.
25 YEARS AGO – 83rd annual CAS…
February 9-17, 1991
In 1991, the Chicago Auto Show was staged in the
second and larger McCormick Place exposition center
along the lake front at 23
rd
Street. The first auto show
held there was in 1971. Exhibitors filled the 660,000
square feet of space with domestic cars on the main
level, imports and trucks on the lower level. New models
included the Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand
Marquis, Pontiac Bonneville, Oldsmobile 88, Buick
LeSabre, Buick Roadmaster and Cadillac Seville. On
the show floor, Honda celebrated its Accord as the top
selling car in the U.S. for the second consecutive year,
and added a station wagon to the Accord lineup. In
response to public demand, the growing numbers of
imports on display for the first time in Chicago were the
Toyota Paseo coupe, Infiniti M30 convertible, Mercedes-
Benz 500E sedan, Isuzu Rodeo sport utility, the
67-horsepowerYugo Cabrio, Hyundai compact Elantra
sedan, and Mitsubishi Diamante sedan. General Motors’
answer to the imports was the new plastic bodied Saturn
coupes and sedans, built in Tennessee and advertised
with a no-haggle pricing policy. Concepts included the
Austin Rover MG E-XE, Chrysler’s futuristic 300 sedan,
Mercedes-Benz F100, Chevrolet Nomad station wagon,
Pontiac ProtoSport, Ford Zig roadster and Zag minivan,
Jeep Wagoneer 2000 multi-purpose vehicle, Chrysler
Neon prototype, Mercury Mystique minivan, Mitsubishi
HSR-II with four-wheel steering, and GMC Sagebrush
pickup truck.
For more Chicago Auto Show history, visit
www.
chicagoautoshow.com/history/
.
A major attraction in the Dodge exhibit at the 1966 Chicago Auto Show
was the mid-year debut of the production Charger fastback two-door
hardtop, featuring concealed headlights and custom Cragar five-spoke
mag wheels.
A rare appearance of the ultra-exotic Vector W8 with its 600-plus
horsepower twin-turbocharged and fuel-injected 6-liter aluminum V-8
engine was a crowd-pleaser during the 1991 Windy City automotive
extravaganza.
More Car, Les s Money : The LEASE you can do!
CHICAGO AUTO SHOW 2016
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