Chris MulvihillFebruary brings many things-Groundhog Day, the Super Bowl, and the Chicago Auto Show. As America slowly gets back to normal, the 114th edition of the Chicago Auto Show opened on February 12th at McCormick Place. The 2021 show was COVID-19 canceled, with a very small ‘outdoor’ auto show held in July of 2021.
The wildly popular 2022 Bronco now has a Raptor edition powered by a 400 HP twin-turbo V6.
The idea behind The Chicago Auto Show is to provide a venue for the manufacturers to display their cars and create excitement for the general public and prospective buyers. Given the supply chain challenges of the last 24 months, most if not all car companies are experiencing a shortage of new cars.
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New for 2023 the Corvette ZO6 is powered by a 670HP V8 that propels this rocket from 0-60MPH in 2.6 seconds.
Because manufacturers are (quickly) selling all they can make, some car companies were absent from this year’s show. The major companies were all highlighting their electric vehicles with some offering indoor driving experiences alongside gas-powered models.
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Very popular this year were inside driving experiences focused on a model VS the manufacturer
What appears to be an emerging trend is how car companies are starting to market the vehicle model as a ‘brand.’ Ford had a large display dedicated entirely to the Bronco including a small clothing and accessories store as well as an indoor driving course. Stellantis (Chrysler/Fiat) has been marketing the Ram Truck as a brand and also offered an indoor driving experience highlighting towing capacity. It would appear the Mustang Mach-E and the new Jeep Wagoneer may be heading down this path as well. The Chicago Auto Show is the largest in America and runs from February 12th thru the 21st. It is a bright spot in the gloomy days of a Midwestern winter and helps turn thoughts toward warmer driving days.
About the author: Chris Mulvihill is the owner of Classic Car Advisors which offer a number of services to owners of classic cars from inspections and evaluations to locating collectors and car assisting with Concourse d’Elegance placement.
