The St. Louis Auto Show is an auto show held annually in St. Louis, Missouri.[1] The first St. Louis Auto Show was held in 1907 at Forest Park Highlands; it was first held indoors at the Willys-Overland Building on Locust Street in 1917.[2][3] Since resumption of the show in 1983,[4] it has been held annually at the America's Center convention center and, since its construction in 1996, at the adjacent Edward Jones Dome.[1][5]

In the most recent show, which took place in January 2012, its exhibits featured more than 25 automobile and motorcycle brands,[6] including Acura, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Ford, Harley Davidson, Honda, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, Lexus, Lincoln, Mazda, Nissan, Scion, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo.[7] The show also featured a collection of supercars sponsored by St. Louis Motorsports, Inc., including cars manufactured by Bentley, Lamborghini, Lotus, Maserati, and Rolls-Royce.[7][8] The 2012 show also included three "ride-and-drive" experiences in which attendees were able to drive new vehicles, an environmentally friendly automobile section, and the Camp Jeep experience, in which attendees were able to participate in indoor, off-road driving.[8]

Historically, the show has included a variety of concept cars; in 1990, the show featured the 12-cylinder Cadillac Solitaire and the pivoting-canopied Plymouth Slingshot.[4] During the 1991 show, organizers brought three Deloreans used in the filming of Back to the Future and a pre-production model of the Dodge Viper.[9][10] For 1996, the show included models of the Cadillac Catera, the Plymouth Prowler, and the Lamborghini Diablo.[5] Also in 1996, the auto show became the first convention to use the Edward Jones Dome for convention space.[5] The 2001 show featured a pre-production model of the Ford Thunderbird and the GMC Envoy, while the 2005 show included the Jeep Hurricane concept car.[11][12]

References

  1. 1 2 "St. Louis Auto Show". Saint Louis Auto Dealers Association. 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  2. ↑ Missouri History Museum (2008). "Gearheads: Only $250". Shifting Gears: the Automobile Industry in St. Louis, 1890-1930. Missouri Historical Society. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  3. ↑ Karen Bode Baxter (August 9, 1999). National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form for Willys-Overland Building (PDF) (Report). Retrieved February 24, 2012.
  4. 1 2 "Future Concept: Forward Look at Auto Show". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. January 28, 1990. p. 41G.
  5. 1 2 3 Robert Manor (January 24, 1996). "Floor It: TWA Dome Wheels in its First Show". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  6. ↑ "St. Louis Auto Show Dates and Times (Show Info)". Saint Louis Auto Dealers Association. 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  7. 1 2 "St. Louis Auto Show Map". Saint Louis Auto Dealers Association. 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  8. 1 2 "St. Louis Auto Show Features". Saint Louis Auto Dealers Association. 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  9. ↑ "St. Louis Auto Show: It's 'Back to Future' at Cervantes". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. January 2, 1991. p. 1D.
  10. ↑ "St. Louis Auto Show: Chrysler Announces Concept Cars". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. January 9, 1991. p. 1E.
  11. ↑ Gargi Chakrabarty (February 2, 2001). "Economy Doesn't Dampen Interest in New Cars at St. Louis Auto Show". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  12. ↑ Gregory Cancelada (February 4, 2005). "Concept Cars Bring in the Crowds, Create Sales". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
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