THE HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK AUTO SHOW The Cars, People & Events that Shaped an Industry

The ‘horseless carriage’ may have been conceived in the late 1800’s, but it was not until the beginning of the 20th century that the automobile truly began its life. A hundred and twenty years ago, nobody anticipated the important role the car would play in the world’s economic development and how inextricably linked they would become.

By 1900, the automobile was still a plaything for the rich. However, there was enough interest in this new contraption for the New York Automobile Club of America to sponsor the nation’s first full-fledged auto show, which opened on November 4, 1900 in New York City. A manufacturing and retailing industry was beginning to emerge that would revolutionize the country and the world.

"I dictate each day about four thousand words, and I find it a hard day's work. If I could talk as rapidly, however, as some of these automobile salesman do, I could consequently make more money."

--- Mark Twain

When New York’s first auto show opened at Madison Square Garden (then located at Madison Avenue between 26th and 27th Streets) on Saturday, November 3rd, 1900, the United States had only 76 million people, eighteen million horses and eight thousand cars.

Encouraged by the steadily increasing attention given to small displays of automobiles at New York’s annual bicycle shows since 1897, the Auto Show had budgeted $11,000 towards the project and was pleased to attract 48,000 people who paid fifty cents apiece that week to see some 160 vehicles from 34 carmakers.

In the early days of mass production it was David Buick, Ransom Olds and Henry Ford who dominated the burgeoning automobile market. Like Olds and Buick, Ford knew that mass production was the key to his success.

By 1908 Ford had surpassed Buick and Olds as the industry leader, a position that was strengthened with the launch of the first of the Model T automobiles. The advent of mass production in the period 1910 to 1920 saw the car reach critical mass and move from luxury to necessity.

The New York show entered this period of unprecedented growth with a move to an all-new Grand Central Palace on the west side of Lexington Avenue between 46th and 47th Streets in 1912. The twelve-story structure featured 138,000 square feet of display space spread over three floors, more than any other building in the U.S. at the time.

Sustained growth in the auto industry and the New York show however, was no guarantee of success. This would be proved time and again where a steady procession of small, hopelessly underfunded start-up automakers made one or two appearances before disappearing without a trace.

An even more telling indicator of the industry’s volatility was that only four firms from the first New York auto show in 1900 - Packard, Locomobile, Winton and National - were still around to exhibit cars at the 1919 show.

The 1920s were good times for the automotive industry. It was a period when car ownership nearly tripled in the U.S. to almost 20 million. Remembered as the age of Jazz when The Great Gatsby, Charles Lindbergh and frequent New York auto show visitor Will Rogers defined the country’s cultural identity.

It was also the decade that the auto industry’s seasonal sales variations became less pronounced as hard-surfaced highways, inexpensive closed cars, two-vehicle households and installment selling became common.

As a mirror-image of the country’s unprecedented growth and prosperity, the New York Auto Show went to new heights of influence and affluence during the 1920s. The automobile went from being a luxury, to a necessity, to a status symbol. Great names such as Packard, Willy-Overland, Hudson, Nash, Studebaker and Duesenberg headlined in New York.

By the end of the decade, the start of the Great Depression changed everything. The number of active automobile manufacturers dropped from 253 in 1908 to only 44 in 1929, with about 80 percent of the industry’s output accounted for by Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler/Maxwell Motor Company.

The 1950s was a period of unparalleled optimism for a future filled with technological innovation and the auto industry led the charge with new cars that mirrored this new found confidence. It was against this background, with Dwight D. Eisenhower in the White House, Elvis buying Graceland, and the cost of a gallon of gas just 25 cents, that the New York Auto Show opened at the newly constructed New York Coliseum for the first time.

MAJOR INTRODUCTIONS DURING AT THE NEW YORK AUTO SHOW IN THE 1950s

With over 400,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, the first Auto Show at the newly constructed New York Coliseum featured 220 auto and accessory displays valued at over $12m. New York City Mayor Robert Wagner was joined by Hollywood actress Lee Ann Meriwether in the ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the 1956 Show. The Coliseum remained the New York Auto Show's home for the next 30 years until the construction of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, which now houses the Show with more than double the space.

America’s economic growth and burgeoning middle class after World War II created a market for new vehicles like nowhere else and the world’s automakers set their sights on New York as the place to wow them. With three competing auto shows in New York at the time, competition between domestic and foreign brands had never been greater.

“We did a valiant job in establishing foreign cars in this country and giving them the same status in the market as American cars. Before that, foreign cars were considered freaks.”

Charles Snitow, New York Auto Show Director.

EUROPEAN IMPORTS EXCITE BUYERS

JAPANESE BRANDS EXCEL IN NEW YORK

While the New York Auto Show had proved spectacularly successful in attracting attendees by the mid-1960s, the automobile industry had become the center of controversy as several cultural forces reached critical mass during the turbulent 1960s.

Spurred by Rachel Carson’s The Silent Spring , Ralph Nader’s Unsafe at Any Speed, Senator Abraham Ribicoff’s auto safety hearings and the first Earth Day in 1970, the consumer, safety and environmental movements had grown and of major concern to them was the impact of the automobile.

As well as the ever-bigger exhibits of Jeep Wagoneers, Toyota Land Cruisers and British Land Rovers also emphasized the increasing importance of light trucks. By 1969, the New York Auto Show had 137 exhibitors from ten countries displaying more than 600 vehicles in over 411,500 sq.ft. of space on five levels.

MAJOR INTROS IN 1960s NEW YORK

IMPORTS HONDA, SUBARU AND AUDI DEBUT

STAR ATTRACTION

Fuel economy became a new priority for attendees of the New York Auto Show as the Middle East Oil Embargo, which started on the very same day that the 1973 Show opened, lead to a 23% plunge in new car sales to 8.6 million the following year, as ordinary car buyers demanded even smaller and more fuel efficient vehicles.

Like a tale of two shows, the annual New York Auto Show remained a symbol of the automakers’ ability to adapt to changing times that culminated with domestic cars that looked and drove like foreign cars and foreign cars that were assembled in the United States. Fun, fast and exciting cars continued to thrill the wealthy who were immune from the economic turbulence of the day.

1970s milestones included domestic subcompacts like the AMC Pacer, four-wheel drive cars from Subaru and American Motors, turbochargers to boost the power of Buick’s V-6 engines, Mercedes’ diesels and small economical runabouts like the Toyota Corolla (above) in 1971.

'70s SHOWSTOPPERS

As inflation, recession and an average price increase of $1,000 to cover new safety and emissions equipment kept customers away from the showrooms, the 1975 New York Auto Show opened its doors to kick-start sales. The Show marked its 75th Anniversary with a display of over 150 domestic and foreign cars spread over three floors.

John Corry commented in The New York Times, "The Automobile Show does for New Yorkers now what a Busby Berkeley movie did for them 40 years ago; it makes them feel good . ”

American Luxury Excites New Yorkers

Compacts 'To the Max' in NYC

Star Car: Bricklin SV-1 "Gullwing"

While the U.S. was greatly impacted by the early 1980s worldwide recession, the New York Auto Show, and the industry, were sharing some of the most incredible cars to a delighted public. Glitz and gas were still big topics in the New York Auto Show's of the early 1980s. Fuel economy was on the minds of the car buying public, but crowds still congregated around cars like the Pontiac Firebird (above).

After seven years of construction, the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center (above) opened in 1986 to become the New York Auto Show 's new home from 1987 onwards. The dramatic 815,000 sq.ft. facility, with enough space for 1,200 vehicles, was designed by I.M Pei the architect who designed the famous glass pyramid in the courtyard of the Louvre Museum in Paris.

JAPANESE IMPORTS TAKE NYC BY STORM

The late 1980 s saw the massive growth of Japanese imports. Nissan, Mitsubishi and Subaru began manufacturing vehicles in the U.S. in 1983, 1988, and 1989 respectively, while Honda and Toyota launched their luxury brands Acura (1986) and Lexus (1989).

AMERICAN INGENUITY ON DISPLAY

Ford , Chrysler and General Motors revealed their commitment to quality, innovation and design at the New York Auto Show .

STAR CAR: OLDSMOBILE AEROTECH

Major vehicle introductions mixed with the popular culture of the day infused the 1990s New York Auto Shows with an incredible mix of star power and horse power. In the second of our Three Part series on the 1990s, we look back at some of the events that made the industry and the modern-era Show what they are today.

Celebrities making appearances during the 1990s New York Auto Shows reflected the popular culture of the day and included Sesame Street’s Big Bird (above), Jasmine Bleeth of “Baywatch”, Paul “Crocodile Dundee” Hogan, and “Beverly Hills 90210’s" Jennie Garth and Brian Austin Green.

BIG THREE TRENDS OF THE 1990s

JAPANESE BRANDS BURST WITH CONFIDENCE

EUROPEANS FOCUS ON DESIGN & LUXURY

“The ‘razzle-dazzle’ New York Auto Show featured an incredible array of 2000 model year vehicles including the BMW M5, GMC Yukon, Infiniti I30, Oldsmobile Aurora as well as the Nissan Z and Kia KMS concept cars.”

— Michelle Krebs - The New York Times (April, 1999).

ADVERTISING THE NEW BEETLE NEW YORK STYLE

Rounding out a century of automotive innovation, the 2000 New York Auto Show celebrated its centennial anniversary with a whopping 27 world and North American introductions -- a record at the time -- and dozens of futuristic concept cars. The first Show of the new millennium also jump-started the springtime automobile selling season.

“It’s always a pleasure to come to New York and see the city and the York Auto Show getting better every year. Each year, we look forward to coming here and spending time with our friends in business, the news media, most importantly, our customers.

— Jacques Nasser, Ford President & CEO

100-YEAR HISTORY EXHIBIT COMES TO LIFE

As the New York International Auto Show’s thirteenth decade gets underway the importance of the Show as a leading global automotive marketing event became very apparent. With increased press week activities and an ever-growing consumer base, the Show, during the first two decades of this century, reinforced important role as the largest and most important automotive marketing event in the nations largest DMA for new vehicle sales in some very interesting ways!

Members of the rock band KISS are anything but tongue-tied at a MINI press conference in 2011 (above) announcing that four specially-autographed and decorated Countrymans would be auctioned on eBay to benefit UNICEF.

“The value of popular, well-attended events like the New York Auto Show where we can look the customer in the eye and shake their hands are so important. It’s just best in person.”

-- Ford’s Jim Farley, 2007

AUTOMAKERS AIM TO IMPRESS THE PRESS

WORLD'S TOP CEOs DESCEND ON NEW YORK

The New York Auto Show has always provided unfettered access to the industry’s biggest movers-and-shakers.

THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE