"The show must go on," was the theme of the 1967 Chicago Auto Show's, when four weeks prior to its opening, a catastrophic fire destroyed McCormick Place. A rapid reorganization returned the event to its former venue, the International Amphitheatre, where it would remain until McCormick place was rebuilt/reopened in 1971. Popular vehicles at the '67 show included the restyled Plymouth Barracuda, new Ford Thunderbird Landau sedan, Sunbeam Tiger, and Maserati's two-passenger Mistral.
This aerial view shows the original McCormick Place exhibition hall after an enormous fire destroyed it in 1967, just four weeks before the 58th annual Chicago Auto Show was to open. Located on the edge of Lake Michigan, the $35 million structure was only six years old. Four weeks after the fire, the ‘67 show opened on schedule in the International Amphitheatre, its former venue, Halsted at 43rd Street. The auto show remained there through 1970, when the rebuilt McCormick Place opened for the 63rd annual event.
Long shot of the arena area of the Amphitheatre shows the size of the crowd--both those who are standing on the main floor and those who are seated in the viewing area. An exhibit of the Sports Car Club of America can be seen at center right.
Photographed outside the Cadillac exhibit a Fleetwood Brougham 4-door sedan is in the foreground. On the left an Eldorado coupe sits on a raised platform.
Boys and girls of all ages appear to be entrilled about the chance to enter a contest held within the Chevrolet exhibit. The prize was a gasoline-powered Chevy Jr., just the right size for a young driver. A sign above the car lists three earlier winners: Ralph Halwe from Waukegan; Bill Hootnick of Gary, Indiana; and C.A. Bell from Grayslake.
Scene outside the Oldsmobile's "Actionland" exhibit. On the left, partly hidden behind shrubbery, is an Olds Delmont 88. The rearview of a Delta 88 convertible is on the right, and other models are visible in the background.
Scene at the Ford display space, which is dominated by mid-size Fairlane GT hardtop coupe. Note the distinctive GT striping along the rocker panel. To the rear, sitting on a raised round platform, is Ford's Mach II concept coupe. Other Ford models are visible farther to the rear, including a Mustang near the center.
Scene at Ford's exhibit space in the Exposition Hall, where several models can be seen. At right is a Thunderbird Landau four-door sedan, new for 1967. Another Thunderbird, with Landau bars and padded roof, is on a raised platform at right rear. In the center of the photo is a Thunderbird coupe. Thunderbirds were fully restyled that year.
Who else but a circus ringmaster would be suitable to introduce the new Mercury Cougar? The display was inside the Lincoln-Mercury exhibit. A woman holding a hand microphone was informing the crowd about the Mercury's new ponycar.
Styled by Pietro Frua and produced from 1963-70, Maserati’s two-passenger Mistral came in coupe and convertible form. Both Italian-built sports cars used a dual-overhead-cam inline six-cylinder engine, either 225 or 245 cubic inches (3694 or 4014 cc) in displacement.
Tuck a small-block Ford V-8 into a lightweight British sports-car body, and what do you get? In this case, a Sunbeam Tiger, which was on sale in American from 1964-67. A sign behind tells of the many car's racing victories.
Plymouth tried to capture the youth market with a Barracuda fastback, issued for 1965. Barracudas earned an ample facelift and length increase for '67, adding a convertible and hardtop to join a shapelier fastback.
Full-size Chevrolets, like this Impala convertible, sold in impressive numbers during the Sixties, despite competition from intermediates and compacts. The bright red convertible was powered by a 327 cubic inch V-8, but a six-cylinder engine was standard, and bigger V-8s could be ordered.
The Chevrolet Golden Cameo pickup featured SS grille with hideaway headlights, deep-pile interior, super luxurious black vinyl buckets, and a padded, simulated leather top.
To highlight the 1967 Chevrolet Caprice hardtop during the Chicago Auto Show, the designers created a custom show car version and named it, Royale.
Based on the Dodge A-100 pick-up truck, the radical Deora customized truck was fabricated in metal by the Alexander Bros. of Detroit. The windshield would rise up like a tailgate on a wagon, permitting the lower front section short of the headlights to swing open. At the same time the entire steering gear swung to one side to allow the driver to enter or exit. Engine instruments were located on a panel to the left of the driver with the important tachometer and speedometer being housed on a center console. Though the slant six cylinder engine powered the Deora, Dodge said that a 318 V-8 could be fitted.
Ford unveiled the Mach 2 experimental sports car at the 1967 Chicago Auto Show. Strongly influenced by GT styling, the Mach 2 was powered by a midship-mounted 289 cubic inch V-8. The 2650 pound vehicle used a semi-monocoque steel and fiberglass body with fixed and flush mounted side windows. Unique styling included raised carburetor intake ports on the rear deck, engine exhausts through the chopped-off rear grille, doors that opened into the roof, a rear canted radiator exhaust grille depressed in the hood surface and cargo space for two suitcases behind the air exhaust. The rear suspension was trailing link in combination with two lateral control arms.
Mach I was a Mustang fastback prototype with an extended front clip, functional air intakes, and a competition-type ducktail spoiler. The stock top was chopped and the windshield angled back a rakish 64 degrees. Quick release filler caps were located on roof pillars behind the fixed side glass. Back glass and deck lid were opened by hydraulics from inside the car. Aluminum honeycomb panel chassis was powered by Ford’s 427 V-8 engine.
Customized for the auto show circuit, the Pontiac GTO Surfrider captured the attention of young sailors from Great Lake Naval base. Or was it the pretty female presenter? The Surfrider featured custom exterior paint and unique interior detailing.