CHICAGO – Auto shows and the automakers and dealers who use them to lure potential customers are changing tactics as audiences migrate to other types of events or the internet.
But this year’s Chicago auto show suggests such events are more resilient than some pundits gave them credit for at the height of the pandemic when interest seemed to be dwindling.
Jennifer Morand, president and general manager of the Chicago show, says ticket sales for the charity preview and general admission are up by double digits, matching pre-pandemic levels. Media interest in this year's show also has increased, she says.
Vehicles from automakers including Subaru, Stellantis, Toyota and Volkswagen debuted during the show’s press preview.
Ford offered a sneak preview of one of its biggest launches of 2023, the introduction of the all-new, seventh-generation ’24 Mustang Dark Horse, which the company describes as the pinnacle of 5.0L V-8 performance.
Due out this summer, the Mustang Dark Horse fuses premium materials, colors, patterns and finishes to reinforce its aggressive track-focused look and style, Ford says.
“The sinister and track-hungry attitude of Mustang Dark Horse inspired us to curate colors and materials in a way that underscores the vehicle’s athleticism,” says Carrie Kennerly, Ford senior color and materials designer.
“We spent extra time on the cockpit, ensuring the look, feel and function of everything a performance driver could want conveys the performance Mustang Dark Horse is capable of,” she says.
From the outset, the Mustang design team knew Dark Horse needed a signature paint color to reinforce its name. The result was Blue Ember metallic exterior paint, a shade that features special-effect pigments of deep blues infused with a warm amber hue to create dramatic color shifts in different lights and angles.
The Mustang Dark Horse features an instrument-panel badge that includes the vehicle’s chassis number and is assembled at Ford’s Flat Rock (MI) Assembly Plant.
Jiyan Cadiz, Ford public relations manager, says the Chicago auto show offers an opportunity to begin telling part of the unique story around the ’24 Mustang.
“It’s a very good platform,” he says of the media attention and other activities around the show. "With the new calendar year, we want to tell more of the Mustang story.”
“The momentum heading into this show is palpable,” says Kevin Keefe, chairman of the Chicago auto show. “We endured a turbulent couple of years, but we never missed a beat and offered an auto show each year to our fans. With returning brands and expansion back into two halls, we are optimistic…Plus, the show will feature new indoor test tracks and outdoor test drives on city streets, giving fans the opportunity to get behind the wheel and experience the latest vehicles.”
Jim Morrison, Stellantis senior vice president for the Jeep brand in North America, which used the press preview to introduce the third-generation Jeep Wrangler, says auto shows are still relevant. The Chicago show remains a key point of contact for customers of the Jeep brand, he says.
“We believe in auto shows,” says Morrison. “It’s a great way to connect with customers. Chicago is one of the best examples of that immersive experience that is never going away.”
