1970 Dodge Challenger with custom interior
The Chicago Auto Show has been held continuously since 1901, except during the WW2 years. And the show has a history website with pictures from every one of those events. It’s quite the time capsule, and if you’ve got a few hours you want to while away, check it out. If not, I picked one shot for each decade to give you a taste of what’s there.
Here’s a shot of some “Motorettes”, an American license-built DeDion-Bouton, which at the time was the world’s largest automobile manufacturer, building some 400 cars and over 300 engines for other manufacturers. Whereas the French DeDion-Boutons were known for high quality, this American licensee instantly developed a rep for being unreliable, and lasted only one year.
Among other cars at the 1910 show were these 60hp Atlas tourers. Price: $2500 (over $60k inflation adjusted, although in terms of relative purchasing power, that price would probably represent closer to $100-200k today).
The 1920 show featured this air-cooled Franklin, with its sleek hood thanks to the lack of a radiator.
Studebaker’s last Erskine model is on display here at the 1930 show. The Erskine started out in 1926 as a rather adventurous attempt to build a compact European-sized six cylinder compact car (sound familiar?), but with the goal of selling them on the continent. It was first shown at the 1926 Paris show. But when the new 1928 Ford Model A undercut its price by a huge margin, the Erskine quickly morphed into just another full-sized Studebaker, and the brand disappeared after 1930.
Unlike today, trucks were relegated to the basement. Here’s a Plymouth PT105, with some Chevy trucks across the isle.
The 1950 show was the first big post-war auto show in the country. I assume that’s because there was no point in spending money during the great “Seller’s Market” of the immediate post-war years. This was an extravaganza, with the live “Wheels of Freedom” show, starring a number of new 1950 models. Here’s the plump Packard convertible next to a sleek performer.
The 1960 Toyota Toyopet Crown Custom is getting some close looks, but probably not a lot of buyers. The Toyopet Crown just didn’t connect with the market at the time, and Toyota had to essentially re-launch their efforts with the smaller and less expensive Corona some years later.
This Porsche 914-6, with steel wheels no less, is getting some love. It would take a pretty fat wallet to follow through with the admiration and bring one home.
Obviously, I’ve been selecting shots of the more obscure makes at the show. But the Guanci SSJ1 undoubtedly takes the cake, as only two were ever built. Chicago businessman John Guanci shared the dream of so many others back then, to build a mid-engined GT with his name on it. Needless to say, it didn’t pan out, like almost all of the others of the genre. Here’s a write-up of the Guanci, in case you missed it at the 1980 show. I did.
The LaForza was an Italian SUV, which was briefly sold in the US during 1988-1990. It used a Ford Windsor V8, was designed by Tom Tjaarda, and built by Rayton Fissore. I caught one once on the go in Eugene, so there are still a few out there. It needs a full CC here sometime.
At the 2000 show, Daewoo was out in full force. Here’s a Leganza, the top of the line up. My younger son had one of these for a while, which he picked up for a song because of electrical gremlins in the window lifts. It ran fine otherwise.
At the 2010 show, the Fiat 500 was one of the more important new cars on display. The 2014 Chicago show is less than a month away; what will we remember from it 113 years from now?
Hat tip to Timothy T. for the link to the Chicago Show site. There’s also a whole section with just concept cars.
The Franklin is a “b-word” in the true, original, unadulterated sense of the word. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself!
Thank you for the LaForza. I remember reading about these when they came out and this is certainly one that had dropped from my memory bank.
I love the Chicago Auto Show history website. A great place to find pics of my favorite late ’80s cars.
Yes, very well organized, and addictive too. I’m really glad they have something like this for people to look back at so many new cars from diff generations, all laid out in one place.
It’s an excellent website. As I went to several in the late ’80s and ’90s, it’s cool to see shots of the exact same cars I remember seeing. For instance, the light metallic blue 1991 Custom Cruiser. I have a front-end shot of that car somewhere!
The Guanci looks like the sort of car any self respecting playboy would drive.Very nice,what a shame it never happened.
Yes, it looks better than a Bricklin to me. Based on the write-up that Paul linked to, sounds like it was well designed too.
My dad took me [9 y/o] to 1970 Auto Show, which was the height of muscle car mania, and near end too.
I remember shag carpet in another display Dodge like the Challenger pic at top. I think a Coronet or Charger. My dad asks the model “How to you get gum out of the carpet?” She said “with tears in your eyes”.
I also learned that SAAB’s came from Sweden that day. A neighbor had a 9-2 and at first thought was some odd VW bug.
That is the nicest quality door panel I have ever seen on an E body Mopar. 🙂
I think my favorite parts of these pictures are of the background displays. Even back in 1910, that big flashy Atlas sign looks like some manufacturer signs going into the 1960s.
Thanks for the link Paul-
My dad and I also attended the Chicago Show back in ’70 or ’71. Now that I’m in LA and he’s in South Dakota, I can send him this link and we can share some memories.
tomcatt630- I don’t know if we walked passed each other back in the day, but I too remember those muscle cars. How times have changed.
D/S
Those Plymouth pickups were quite rare for 39 I found one of 50 RHD units made recently its on the cohort only some 6200 were made in total. Daewoo Leganza is a Korean J car there are still some on the road here but far more in scrapyards.
The Leganza is not J-car based. It’s bigger, and a newly developed car at the time.
Fair enough Paul this was the era when Daewoos were sold online and Holden dealers reluctantly sold parts with no in store signage to tell you about them. Here in Napier the local Lada dealer took up the cudgel for Daewoo
There’s also that ’39 Plymouth pickup that featured in my article here
The first picture: “Baby, can you dig it?”
“Yeah, I can dig it.”
Nice post Paul. Chicago is my home town, I worked at our Auto Show in old McCormick Place for 5 consecutive years, representing Oldsmobile Division during it’s best days (early/mid ’80s). Oldsmobile required us to be in tuxedo for each of those years. Dealer/preview night was always great with the ‘special people’ allowed in and all kinds of elaborate food spreads for the big occasion.
In addition, at the age of 19, I owned a Porsche 914. Looong time ago and many cars since, but I am pretty sure I remember, that car may not have been the quickest, but the shift and the ride quality were smooth as silk and oh my god could that thing handle. You could wrench the steering wheel 3/4 turn at high speed and the car simply perfectly & safely responded to your command. I drove it twice back & forth to Atlanta/Florida, and loved that Targa top, especially on those road trips.
Thanks for waking up thoughts of good things & good times that haven’t crossed my mind in years 🙂
This is one of the rather rare 914-6 versions, which had a genuine Porsche 911 six cylinder engines. Plenty quick for the times, but pricey.
I did the same thing for Buick in the late 90’s at the Miami International Auto Show, 1997 from what I recall, we didn’t have tuxes, but we did have matching navy blue double breasted suits that were tailored and given to us by Buick, to keep, along with matching burgundy silk patterned ties with a Frank Lloyd Wright design on them. We had a fancy dinner on opening night as well, it was fun, I worked it for several other years again with Pontiac and GMC, but the Buick one was the best.
I went to the Chicago Auto Show every year growing up. My favorite was 1967 When I got the “Dodge Charger Girl” Pam Austin’s autograph, you couldn’t talk to me for a week
Few things show the confidence of post war America like as well as the cars, and these are always going to be seen to the best at the motor show. Those 1950s/60s/70s show these this exactly, but why Chicago and not Detroit? How much variation and competition was there between Chicago, Detroit, New York, LA etc for the best and most prestigious motor show? Was the Chicago show essentially the Detroit show re-reun 2 months later?
I’ve got over 50 slides in both Kodachrome and Ektachrome that I shot at the 1968 Chicago Auto Show: Mercury concept cars; Ford NASCAR Torino Cobras; the 1967 Ford Mk IV LeMans winner; Toyota 2000 GT; and Porsche 911 cop car, among others. Also got the ’68 Chicago Hot Rod Show and the ’70 New York Hot Rod Show. Any interest in the Commentariat? OK you wankers, soon to be published.
I’m looking forward to it!
Please, show us some respect. “Wankers” should be capitalized.
In that last pic of the Fiats, in the background is the Dodge Viper logo. It reminded me of the fact that if you turn the viper logo upside down you get Daffy Duck
Leon… Holy $#!@XX Wow, I see it, you are right. 100% Daffy.
Do you think its an intentional Chry-Co. Easter egg?
Well they had a car called the Road Runner. How would the 2015 Dodge Daffy go over? Think of all the tooling money they could save re-using the emblems!
Hahahahahahahaha! Brilliant! 😀
I highly recommend “World’s Greatest Auto Show: Celebrating A Century In Chicago”, which I picked up at the 2001 event. While a bit short on text, there are lots of great black and white pictures, and there is also a small color section in the middle of the book.
I have been to the 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2012 Auto Shows, and my brother and I plan on attending the 2013 show, weather permitting. I always love going!
I saw a LaForza several years ago in Tigard. I thought maybe it was from Mexico as I had never heard of them.
When I saw that Packard convertible, I immediately thought of Doc Brown in Back To The Future.
Paul, Many thanks for sharing this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wish whoever took the picture of the Toyopet turned his camera to the right. You can just see the Citroen stand, but no cars 🙁
“This Porsche 914-6…would take a pretty fat wallet to follow through with the admiration and bring one home.”
Not to mention near nearsightedness or at the very least no aversions to seriously and wilfully ugly cars. The 914 looks like the Panamerayenne of its times to me…