The Chicago Auto Show

Part I: 1959-1968
American auto shows have cultivated a rich history by providing a venue in which the automakers may present themselves in a positive light and reach a broad audience. For more than 100 years, everything from dream cars to purpose-built show cars and production models debuted at auto shows across the country in an effort to gauge public opinion on the latest trends, styling, and technology. By the '50s, the pageantry of some of the introductions and the lavish visuals surely made in-house auto industry accountants convulse, but such was the norm back when computers needed their own rooms, television screens were 12 inches diagonally, and the yearly introductions from the automakers were a major event on Main Street, USA.

The Chicago Auto Show is a major player on the circuit, having started in 1901. As with Detroit, the Chicago show has catered to Midwesterners, all hungry to see the latest and greatest in the automotive world. Another asset of the Chi-Town show is its timing. Historically, February/March show dates (for most years) have made it a perfect setting for midyear introductions, such as the '67 Firebird.

Pontiac and its predecessor, Oakland, have displayed at the Chicago Auto Show since Oakland's introduction in 1908. Through 1941, Oakland and Pontiac's displays were always first class, as one would expect in a major show with the backing of General Motors; however, they usually lacked the excitement of the sportier offerings from some of their competitors.

There were no shows for the '42-'49 models due to World War II and its aftermath, but when they resumed in the '50s, Pontiac stepped up. There was a string of dream cars from the General Motors Motorama, including the Bonneville Special and Strato Streak of 1954, the '55 Strato-Star, and the '56 Club de Mer that spiced up Pontiac's corner at several auto shows. The all-new '55 Pontiac production cars with OHV V-8 power also attracted major attention.

Perhaps the turning point for Pontiac was 1957 when the face-lifted new models were showcased under the direction of the new general manager, Semon E. "Bunkie" Knudsen. From then on, Pontiac displays at Chicago and other auto shows became must-see attractions.

Our look here is at the '59-'68 Chicago Auto Show Pontiac displays. Photos are from the files of the Chicago Automobile Trade Association, which managed the show starting in 1935. Future articles will continue the review right through the 100th Windy City show in 2008.

While photos are usually proof of which models appeared in the Pontiac displays of any given year, they don't cover every vehicle there. News accounts of each show were also checked, but it's entirely possible that a vehicle, especially a show or concept car, may or may not be found in photos. CATA did not keep records of each vehicle on display. In later years, some vehicles were removed or added to the display during the week-long-plus run.

January 17-25, 1959
The 51st Chicago Auto Show was held at the International Amphitheatre on the south side, as it had been since 1936. Drawing crowds to the Pontiac display were the all-new Wide-Track '59 models, redesigned from the new X-frame to completely changed bodies. "Feast your eyes on the most beautiful change any car ever made in a single year" said the ads in the auto-show sections of the papers.

Among the attractions was the new 5-inch wider track (thus the "Wide-Track" label), a new split grille that would be a Pontiac styling cue for decades to come, new roof lines that gave up to 37 percent greater visibility, a new Vista-Panoramic windshield that improved forward vision by 60 percent, and split tail fins doing the competition one better. A display model invited show-goers to sit inside and experience the Circ-L-Aire heating/air-conditioning system.