CHICAGO Auto show preview
SECTION E Thursday, February 7, 2013 • Northwest Herald
More than a million expected at 2013 show
T
he nation’s largest auto show is upon us. The 105th edition of the Chicago Auto Show opens to the public at 10 a.m. Feb. 9 and closes at 8 p.m. Feb. 18 at McCormick Place. Of the four major auto shows in the United States, the CAS annually attracts more than one million visitors. The Los Angeles show is first, the New York show last and Detroit has the greatest number of worldwide new vehicle introductions, but Chicago’s is the largest. “It also is the show most geared toward the consumer, which is why Chicago is pretty well known as the consumer show,” said David Sloan, president of the Chicago Auto Trade Association and general manager of the CAS. Sloan said the Chicago show, which costs CATA about $5 million each year to put on, is where potential customers come to kick the tires, get into vehicles on display and are serious about making a purchase. Benefitting the most are the 400-plus new car dealers who are members of CATA, the sponsoring agency. “The dealers see a substantial uptick in potential customers to their dealerships and a big increase in sales,” Sloan noted. “We get reports that after the show ends the dealers are so busy they cannot keep up with customers coming into their dealerships.” More than 1,000 vehicles from roughly 40 automakers will be on display during the 10 days of the event. Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Feb. 9-17 and 10 a.m. to 8
The 8.4-liter, 640-horse-power, SRT Viper V10 will be on display at the Chicago Auto Show. Photo provided
REVIEWS Jerry Kuyper p.m. Feb. 18. Daily tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for seniors ages 62 and older, $6 for children ages 7 to 12. Children 6 years old or younger get in free when they are accompanied by a paying adult. Weekday discount coupons ($6 off regular adult admission) are available at area new-car dealers who are CATA members. Participating banks also mail the discount tickets to their account holders. School and group discounts are available. Certain days should be kept in mind by potential patrons. Tuesday is women’s day. Women are admitted for $6. Manufacturers will present programs oriented toward women on the purchase and lease of cars and maintenance. Wednesday through Friday are food drive days. Patrons who bring three cans of food will receive a coupon for $6 admission. Food is donated to A Safe Haven Foundation. Friday is Telemundo Hispanic Day. For information, visit www. telemundochicago.com. For additional ticket information, visit www.drivechicago.com. Sloan noted the ticket pricing is attractive to making the show an affordable family event. Food and beverage stands dot the show complex.
The show is on one floor of McCormick Place South which covers 1.2 million square feet of exhibition space. “What an advantage Chicago has over other shows,” Sloan said. “The show is on one gigantic floor and it is simply a matter of making your way through more than one million square feet of displays. We have by far the biggest automotive exhibition hall in the country and it really shows off the cars well. We do everything we can to put every last person we can in there.” The show features multiple world and North American introductions, a comprehensive range of domestic and imported passenger cars and trucks, sport utility vehicles and experimental or concept cars. One of the world introductions is the 2014 Tundra pickup truck from Toyota. “Why Chicago?” Toyota’s Midwest public relations manager Curt McAllister rhetorically asked. “It’s arguably the largest consumer auto show in the country and the CAS has a history of terrific truck reveals. We introduced the 2010 MY Tundra in Chicago back in 2009.” “We will be making a big Ram announcement as well as bringing a new Chrysler and Mopar model to the show,” Chrysler Group publi-
cist Wendy Orthman said. For the Chicago show, CG will introduce the 2013 Viper SRT, 2014 Fiat 500L, 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and (new) Compass. “They will be exciting editions to the CAS floor,” she said. Automotive media and the public can watch a live webcast of the unveiling of the first new product under the Ram commercial brand at the Chicago show. The unveiling is via live satellite feed from McCormick Place beginning Feb. 7. For information, visit http://host4video.com/cas13/ram/. Among the 75 vehicles in Ford’s display area will be the Atlas, which shows what the F-Series pickup trucks will look like in future years. Ford also will display the new Transit Connect Wagon, redesigned Transit Connect city van and the Transit, a replacement commercial van for the E-Series. According to Fred Ligouri of General Motors, on Chevrolet’s 64,500-square-foot-display will be the 2014 Corvette, 2014 Silverado, 2014 Impala, Hot Wheels Camaro, 1967 Hot Wheels Camaro concept, and the Malibu Turbo Performance Concept.
See SHOW, page E9
INSIDE
• Mopar builds a one-of-a-kind auto for the Chicago Auto Show. • Chrystler Group introduces Mopar’s Dodge Dart. • Black-tie event kicks off the 2013 show. Page E2 • A 2013 Toyota RAV4 will be given away this year. • Test tracks to take visitors on wild rides. Page E7 • Cadillac polishes its awardwinning ATS for display at the show. Page E9