Event History
Samuel Miles, formerly a promoter of bicycle shows, produced the first "official" Chicago Automobile Show in 1901. The event was staged in March of that year at the third Chicago Coliseum. The 1901 show featured an indoor track for attendees to test drive the ten vehicles exhibited: five electric powered, three steam powered, and two with gasoline engines. The 1902 show saw 100 cars on display; the indoor track was discontinued after the first year to accommodate space requirements for the exhibitors.
By the late 1920s, the automotive industry's maturation resulted in many smaller automobile manufacturers being acquired or replaced by larger ones. The Chicago Auto Show continued to gain prominence during this era and was often regarded as the "National Auto Show". Samuel Miles retired as the Chicago Auto Show's general manager in 1931 after three decades of service.
1935 was characterized by three major changes to the Chicago Auto Show: The Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA), the United States' oldest and largest metropolitan automobile dealership organization, became the event's producer and organizer. Also, the show was held twice in calendar year 1935—once in January for the 1935 models, and once in November for the 1936 models. This arrangement was a result of automakers shifting the start of the model year to the fall, based on a recommendation by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to advance the introduction of new automobile models by two months. Finally, the November 1935 show moved to a much larger venue, the International Amphitheatre.
World War II curtailed production of motor vehicles for consumers in the United States, with the domestic automotive industry retooling to manufacture defense and military equipment. As a result, the Chicago Auto Show was not held between 1941 and 1949.
In 1961, the Chicago Auto Show moved from the International Amphitheatre to the original McCormick Place. The latter facility was destroyed by fire just a month prior to the 1967 show, so the International Amphitheatre resumed its role as the Chicago Auto Show's venue between 1967 and 1970. The show returned to McCormick Place in 1971, when a replacement building was constructed at the site. Additional expansions to McCormick Place toward the end of the 20th century allowed the Chicago Auto Show to become the largest auto show in the United States. The event currently encompasses more than 800,000 square feet in Hall A of McCormick Place's South Building.
