Here are three of Wide Open Road's top picks for North American auto shows.
The auto show is an American tradition, a place where like-minded car guys and gals can gather to see what everybody wants to see in the automotive industry: The next best thing.
We picked three that seem to always gather our attention.
Chicago Auto Show
February 10-19, 2018
The Chicago auto show is the largest in the country, with more than 1,000 automobiles showcased every year to 12,000 visitors.
Its social footprint is massive with countless TV specials, radio programming, and social media influencers descending upon the event to report. Last year, the show reached 40 million hashtag impressions, 25,000+ tweets, and ranked as a No.1 trending item on Twitter.
No other domestic auto show comes close to those numbers, and attendance is rivaled by the Frankfurt Auto Show, long considered the most influential international show.
North American International Auto Show
January 13-28, 2018
Held in the Motor City, the North American International Auto Show is one of the premier events in the country. Composed of six mini events, each captures a niche or a cause. The Gallery is all-luxury, with $10 million worth of luxury names like Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Aston Martin represented.
A second event, Automobili-D, is the largest 'main' exposition with 180 brands on display. Lastly, other smaller events like Press, Industry, and Charity previews pay tribute to journalists, automotive employers, and children's charities with keynote events and interactive activities.
Notables from 2017 include the BMW 5 Series with its lighter chassis, the Audi Q8 concept with a plug-in hybrid option, and the Chevrolet Bolt, one of the cheapest EVs around.
San Francisco International Auto Show
November 18-26, 2017
The San Francisco International Auto Show is the second largest auto show in the U.S. Debuting in 1958, it was created by foreign auto dealers who were not permitted to showcase in local domestic auto shows. Thus, they created their own, which was later renamed.
This year, the 60th annual auto show will happen in mid-November. Last year saw plenty of festivities, with Hank the Ford Robot, a fleet of luxury street cars, and other exclusives. Learn more about this year's event on the Twitter handle.
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