The Third Annual automobile show held under the joint auspices of the Chicago Automobile Club and the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers at the Coliseum building opened at 2 pm on Saturday, February 14, 1903. On the cover of The Automobile magazine from 1903, is an illustration of a husband and wife braving the chilly winds off of Lake Michigan as they drive to the Chicago Auto Show. This was the Third annual show held at the Coliseum, once located at 15th Street and Wabash Ave. A total of 325 machines from 80 manufacturers (four foreign) were exhibited with either gas or electric powerplants. An ad for the Seachmont Touring Car that ran during the 3rd annual Chicago Auto Show, promoted being in business for four years. Available in two models, the Seachmont had retail prices of $2,000 and $2,500. The Githens Brothers Co. were the Western agents for the Seachmont, with a dealership located on Michigan Ave. near the Coliseum.
Photographed from the balcony inside the Coliseum, various horseless vehicles can be viewed on the main floor during the 1903 Chicago Auto Show. Eighty manufactures were represented by 325 machines, most demonstrating marked advancements in automobile construction. Vehicle exhibitors include Oldsmobile, Peerless, Cadillac, Packard, Locomobile, Winton, Franklin, Cleveland, Chicago Motor Vehicle Co., and Rambler.
Overhead view inside the Coliseum during the 1903 auto show illustrates the variety of both open and closed top body configurations offered by auto manufacturers. Signs indicating the location of brand names, such as Packard, Winton, Columbia and Toledo, let people know where to find their favorite car.
Dressed in their finest outfits, Miss Hattie Williams and Miss Nova Aymar of the Rogers Brothers Co. posed with one of the firms 1903 motorized vehicles. Steering wheels were replacing the tiller, either on the left or right side of the car.
Photographed from the upper level of the Coliseum, this view illustrates various automobile manufacturers’ exhibits on the main floor. Names like Toledo, Waverley, Locomobile and International Motor Car Co. presented their best vehicles, including gasoline, electric and steam models.