Consumers Pick Favorite Vehicles and Exhibit at The Chicago Auto Show

Chicago Auto Show 100th Show Logo. (PRNewsFoto/Chicago Auto Show). CHICAGO, IL UNITED STATES. One of the five “Best of Show” trophies, presented at The Chicago Auto Show. (PRNewsFoto/Chicago Auto Show)
CHICAGO, Feb. 18 /PRNewswire/ — Consumer voters proclaimed their
favorites in five categories in the Chicago Auto Show’s third annual Best
of Show balloting.

Winners in the contest’s five categories were:

— Best All-New Production Vehicle: Dodge Challenger (30 percent of vote)
— Best Concept Vehicle: Cadillac CTS Coupe (19 percent of vote)
— Best Chicago Auto Show World Introduction: Dodge Challenger (56 percent
of vote)
— Best Exhibit: Chevrolet (25 percent of vote)
— Vehicle I’d most like to have in my driveway: Chevrolet Camaro
“Bumblebee” (8 percent of vote)

Nine finalists in four categories were selected by a panel of elite
automotive journalists during the show’s two-day media preview. The fifth
category, “Vehicle I’d Most Like to Have in My Driveway,” allowed voters to
choose from any vehicle on the show floor and write in their selection.

According to the results, nearly one-third of the voters considered the
Dodge Challenger the Best All-New Production Vehicle at the 2008 Chicago
Auto Show, followed by the Shelby GT500KR with 18 percent of the vote.

In the Best of Show’s tightest race, only four percentage points
separated the top four finishers in “Vehicle I’d most like to have in my
driveway.” The Chevrolet Camaro Bumblebee gathered eight percent of the
vote, chased closely by the Dodge Challenger, Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, and
Nissan GT-R. Proving that star power still counts, the yellow and black
Camaro Bumblebee concept car was featured in the live-action-adventure
film, “Transformers.”

Dodge Challenger handily took Best Chicago Auto Show World
Introduction. In second was the GMC Denali XT concept hybrid pickup truck.

Gathering 19 percent of the vote, the angular Cadillac CTS Coupe
squeaked out a victory as the Best Concept Car. The sporty Dodge Zeo
finished a close second with 16 percent of the vote.

Wrestling the crown of Best Exhibit away from Jeep’s two-year
stranglehold was Chevrolet. The Bow-Tie brand grabbed 25 percent of the
vote versus Jeep’s 22 percent. It’s interesting to note that the Chevrolet
exhibit was part of a massive and expanded General Motors display that was
the largest the American automaker has ever assembled, anywhere.

The Chicago Auto Show is the nation’s largest and celebrated its 100th
edition in 2008, making it the first show anywhere in the world to hit the
triple-digit milepost. The show is produced by the Chicago Automobile Trade
Association, the oldest and largest dealer association in the United
States.

SOURCE Chicago Auto Show