The NYIAS Through the Ages

From Model Ts to the Mustan Mach-E, the NYIAS has introduc millions of people to the late cars. The first New York Au Show was held in 1900 at the original Ma son Square Garden on Madison Avenue. Ba then, the U.S. had 76 million people, 18 milli horses, and eight thousand cars owned so ly by the very rich. The first NYIAS enabl people to see these 160 horseless carriages up close.

The early 1900s saw the introduction of the Ford Model T and the advent of mass production which moved the car from luxury to neces sity. The 1920s wer good times for the au tomotive industry, wit car ownership near tripling in the U.S. t almost 20 million. Gre names such as Packar , Willy-Overland, Hudson, Nash, Studebaker, and Duesenberg headlined in New York. By the end of the decade, the start of the Great Depression changed everything. Then, during the pre-war years, the NYIAS continued its annual celebration until 1942, when the U.S. entered World War II.

The 1950s ushered in a period of unparalleled optimism and technological innovation for many industries, including automotive. The NYAS opened at the newly

constructed New York Coliseum for the first time. Gas was just 25 cents per gallon. One of the show’s most notable debuts was the $13,074 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham 4-door, equipped with a brushed stainless steel roof, 6-way power memory seats, power door locks, the U.S. industry’s first production air suspension and a rear seat storage armrest housing a notepad, mirror, and perfume atomizer. The Coliseum remained the New York Auto Show’s home for the next 30 years until the construction of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, which now houses the show with more than double the space By the 1960s, car buyers began re jecting the ostentatious automobiles of the previous decade in favor of smaller cars, partially due to pollution concerns. The period also saw promising new players like Honda, Subaru, and Audi take out their first booths at the show. Making its North American debut, the Jaguar E-Type was the undisputed star of the 1961 New York Auto Show by virtue of its sensational styling, 150 mph top speed, and surprisingly modest selling price of $5,595. The exhibits of Jeep Wagoneers, Toyota Land Cruisers, and British Land Rovers emphasized the increasing importance of light trucks. By 1969, the New York Auto Show had 137 exhibitors from ten countries displaying more than 600 vehicles in over 411,500 sq. ft. of space on five levels.

The 1970s brought more challenges due to inflation recession, and safety emissions requirements. The 1975 New York Auto Show marked its 75th anniversary with a display of over 150 domestic and foreign cars spread and a imed to kick-start agging sales. While the U.S. was reatly impacted by the arly 1980s worldwide ecession, the show and he auto industry were haring some incredible ars. Glitz and gas were still big topics in the New York Auto Shows of the early 1980s, but crowds still congregated around vehicles like the Pontiac Firebird. Rounding out a century of automotive innovation, the 2000 NYIAS celebrated its centennial anniversary with 27 world and North American introductions -- a record at the time -- and dozens of futuristic concept cars. The first show of the new millennium also jump-started the sprisngtime automobile-selling season. Today, the NYIAS remains the largest and most important automotive marketing event in the nation’s