The Chicago Auto Show is held annually in February at Chicago's McCormick Place convention complex. At 1.2 million sq. ft, with over 1,000 vehicles on display, it is the second largest auto show in North America (The Cleveland Auto Show, at 1.5 million sq. ft, is the largest) and the fourth largest in the world (Frankfurt is #1 and Paris is #2, although those shows are held every other year). The Chicago Auto Show has lately seen a growing number of important introductions. In 2007, it joined the list of shows sanctioned by the OICA Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles.
The Chicago Auto Show, first produced in 1901, has been staged more times than any other auto show in North America and continues to be one of the best-attended in the world. Over one million visitors attend each year.
2008 marks the Chicago Auto Show's 100th iteration. It is the first auto show anywhere in the world to achieve this distinction.
Due to the vast amount of space available, several auto manufacturers have implemented creative uses of their exhibit space in recent years. For example, at the 2006 Chicago Auto Show, Pontiac and Chrysler hosted free concerts at their exhibits. The BoDeans and OK Go are among those who performed at Pontiac's stage. Chrysler Group created the world's largest indoor test track, and allowed attendees to ride along on a test-drive of their SUVs and trucks in extreme simulated conditions in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008.
