The 1902 show saw 100 cars on display; the indoor track was discontinued after the first year to accommodate space requirements for the exhibitors.

[4] Finally, the November 1935 show moved to a much larger venue, the International Amphitheatre located at 4220 South Halsted Street.

[5] World War II curtailed production of motor vehicles for consumers in the United States, with the domestic automotive industry retooling to manufacture defense and military equipment.

The event currently encompasses more than 1 million square feet in the North and South exhibit halls of McCormick Place.

[7] Due to the vast amount of space available, several auto manufacturers have implemented creative uses of their exhibit area in recent years.

For example, FCA US, Toyota, and Volkswagen have all configured indoor test track experiences adjacent to their respective vehicle displays.

[8] In 2021, CATA received approval to host a special summer edition of the Chicago Auto Show in the West Building of McCormick Place, supplemented by outdoor activities such as test drives and technology demonstrations.

The show's media preview day hosted 18 world premieres including the introduction of the Kia Trail'ster concept as well as production vehicles such as the Acura RDX, Chevrolet Equinox, Honda Pilot and Toyota Avalon.

Introductions and concepts: Also, the Ford Transit Connect was re-introduced as an official 2010 model, after pre-production units were displayed for the first time in the U.S. at the previous year's show.

Introductions: The show also had a special U.S. Army area, open to the public, which displayed military vehicles and featured Army-related activities and video games.

[214] The 1989 Chicago Auto Show featured the debut of the Acura NS-X sports car concept, which would lead to the production NSX in 1990.