Consumers’ Favorites At the Chicago Auto Show

Vehicles are not all about what’s the most high-tech or the most eco-friendly.   Whether automakers would admit it or not, from the crucial process of conceptualizing up to producing, they simply rely on one thing in their minds:  the consumers’ choice.

That makes business healthy (at some points) for car buyers.  Having a marketplace of cars to choose from - from small cars, to hybrid cars, to crossovers, to sedans and other types of cars that make the world go round for some car enthusiasts, car consumers could identify the best - the ones that stand out from the rest of cars available in the market - the cars that best fit the label “Consumers’ Favorite.”

In Auto Channel yesterday, five vehicles got the privilege to receive such a label from participants of the  100^th Chicago Auto Show,  the largest auto show in United States. 

A panel composed of elite auto journalists picked nine finalists for four categories including the Best All-new Production Vehicle, the Best Concept Vehicle, the Best Chicago Auto Show World Introduction and the Best Exhibit.  Meanwhile, the category “Vehicle I’d Like To have in My Driveway” depended upon the voters’ personal car choices among all the vehicles displayed in the show floor.

With 30 percent of votes, the Dodge Challenger, a five-seater, two-door coupe capable of zero to 100 mile per hour, bagged the Best All-New Production Vehicle.  Meanwhile, the two-door sport-luxury concept car Cadillac CTS Coupe, obtained the Best Concept vehicle with 19 percent of votes.  It seems like the Dodge Challenger really captured the hearts of car enthusiasts at the Chicago Auto Show because it got another award - none other than the Best Chicago Auto Show World Introduction with 56 percent of votes.  The Chevrolet, with a recorded 25 percent votes, won the Best Exhibit Award.  Finally, the retro-futuristic Chevrolet Camaro, featured as “Bumblebee” in last year’s Transformers, took the most sought-after “Vehicle I’d Most Like To Have in my Driveway” award.  The Chevy Camaro competed against the Dodge Challenger, Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and Nissan GT-R for the said award.  Probably, the consumers greatly highlighted the Camaro’s saddle-size  fuel tank.

On the sidelight, the award-winning Chevrolet exhibit was noted as General Motor’s largest display ever assembled in auto show history.

The Chicago Auto Show, held at the McCormick Place convention, was first staged in 1901.  In fact, this year marks its 100^th anniversary.  It has been produced since 1935 by the Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA), the oldest and largest metropolitan dealer organization in United States.