The Auto Writer

Until recently, I was planning to attend this year’s Chicago Auto Show but have decided to cancel the trip to conserve funds. I was looking forward to my first trip to the Windy City, but the current global economic woes has brought about a change in plans. Instead, I’ll check out the woefully thin show in nearby Raleigh next weekend as the North Carolina International Auto Show will be getting its start at the same time.

The Chicago show traces its origin all the way back to 1901 when the first official show was held. In that year, 65 manufacturers were in attendance, underscoring just how many companies were originally involved in the buddy car industry.

This year’s show officially opens to the public on Friday, February 13th and runs through Sunday, February 22nd. Show hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day except for the last day when the floor is closed at 8 p.m. With 1.2 million square feet of show floor space, there is plenty of room to move around.

I’ll be following each of the new releases and concepts unveiled at the Chicago show and will post that information here as soon as possible.  Among the anticipated new releases are:

Ford Transit Connect — Ford’s compact commercial van, first introduced to the world in 2003, is coming stateside. The 2010 model will go on sale at Ford dealers later this summer.

Suzuki Equator — Three SEMA styled pick up trucks will be on display in Chicago. Based on the Nissan Frontier, the Truckin’ Equator features what Suzuki says is “a massaged four-cylinder under the hood and a GSX-R sport bike in the bed.”

Mazda MX-5 – 20 years after its debut, the MX-5 roadster continues to play an important role in promoting Mazda’s “zoom zoom” image. A slightly updated model featuring a face lift, interior changes and package options will be on display.

Chevrolet Camaro Bumblebee — The first all new Camaro models will debut on March 17th, but in advance of its release the “Bumblebee” model featured in a recent Transformers movie can be found in the Chevrolet viewing area.

New Exhibitors — Several new exhibitors will showcase their products at this year’s show including Smart, Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce.

Just as they did last year, the Chrysler Group test track will allow attendees to ride in current Chrysler models driven by professional drivers. The indoor test track is popular with attendees although you won’t be able to get behind the wheel of a favorite ride yourself.