Even though we're a month away from the Chicago Auto Show, news is already starting to leak out about what this year's show will entail from world premiers to the opportunity to get married on the showroom floor.
The Chicago Auto Show will be kicked off on Feb. 7 with the First Look For Charity, which is a black-tie sneak peak at the show and all the exhibits. Tickets this year will be $225, and the proceeds benefit 18 Chicago-area charities.
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Public days for the show will be from Feb. 8 to 17. Daily hours will be from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., except on the last day of the show, which will have hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets will cost $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and children aged 7 to 12. Children under 7 will be admitted for free.
SearchChicago will be launching a microsite specifically for the show at the end of January. So, be sure to check back then. In the mean time, enjoy our articles and photos from last year, and here's a quick look at some of the hot news items at this year's show:
100 shows spanning 107 years: Since the first official Chicago Auto Show was staged in 1901, a reasonable person would count back from 2008 and deduce, "Wow, 107 Chicago Auto Shows!" which is quite an accomplishment. But the vagaries of geopolitical strife-tempered with a healthy dose of history-get in the way of simple math and tell us that during the WWII years and beyond there simply were no auto shows being staged in the United States as our country was far too busy producing tanks and trucks to worry about family transportation. So the American auto show clock was put into suspended animation until 1950 when the Windy City put the genre back on track for the world to witness. It hasn't stopped since in timing, content and importance to the industry and public.
First Look readies to help local organizations: The public gets its first glimpse of each year’s Chicago Auto Show at First Look for Charity, the black-tie benevolent event held the evening before the doors officially open. The event benefits 18 area charities and routinely raises more than $2.5 million, making it among Chicago’s most successful single-day fundraisers. At the coming First Look, three lucky attendees will be handed the keys to 2008 vehicles: a Hyundai Veracruz, Toyota Corolla and Scion xD.
Countdown to Challenger continues: In December 2006, the call was made from Auburn Hills to the CATA offices in Chicago with news that the production version of the Dodge Challenger would make its world debut at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show. Chrysler officials then revealed that on their Web site, a “Countdown Clock” was already ticking down the seconds to when the wraps would be taken off of this significant vehicle. Dodge announced pricing for the Challenger SRT8® (MSRP) at $37,995 (which includes $675 destination) and delivery will begin in the spring.
GM display expands in Chicago: General Motors has increased its Chicago footprint by an additional 22,000 sq. ft., totaling approximately 186,000 sq. ft. The Chicago Auto Show currently utilizes 1.3 million sq. ft. of “Class A” space with full 40-foot-tall ceilings -- and all on the same floor. The new GM display will bring all of the General’s brands together in the North Hall of McCormick Place.
Get married at the Chicago Auto Show: With this Journey, one loving couple will wed. In honor of the 100th anniversary of the Chicago Auto Show and the launch of the all-new 2009 Dodge Journey, Dodge is proposing that couples register for a chance to tie the knot on the auto show floor and start their "Journey" of a lifetime as husband and wife. As part of the "Dodge Journey of a Lifetime" contest, Dodge will select one car-loving couple to win an all-expense paid wedding ceremony to take place on Valentine's Day and an all-new 2009 Dodge Journey. Residents from Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky can register online at www.DodgeJourneyOfALifetime.com until Tuesday, Jan. 22, at 5 p.m. (ET).
