Both open- and closed-top bodies sit on display in the Coliseum, 1903. Featured brands were Packard, Winton, Columbia and Pope-Toledo.
Chicago's first official Auto Show was held March 23–30, 1901. Yes, they had cars back then. The eight-day event took place inside the Coliseum exposition hall on Wabash Avenue, between 15th and 16th Streets. Opening night was invitation-only for the "top 20,000 families" in Chicago. General admission for the public was 50 cents.
These days, the Chicago Auto Show is held in McCormick Place, with the 2016 edition running February 13–21. Thankfully for nostalgists, the Auto Show keeps a nice archive of photos from its 115 years. We dug through the photo albums to find some favorite shots of lemons, hot rods, models and other fascinating peeks at history. Find many more images at the official website.
RECOMMENDED: See more photos from the Chicago Auto Show