The "New York International Auto Show" is in full swing and while the media bangs the drums for what's new, we think it deserves respect for what's old. First held in 1900 at Madison Square Garden, it's the longest-running auto show in North America. That initial event featured test drives on a track within the Garden though goodness knows what the attendees were inhaling as those cars chugged by! In 1901 Oldsmobile debuted its little runabout, the famous "Curved Dash Olds," after driving it to New York from Detroit. In spite of a bent axle and transmission troubles this was, at the time, the longest automobile trip ever made in America.

For the first 50 years the shows were held at the Gardens and Grand Central Palace. Then, in 1956, management decided it was time to switch the focus to foreign cars, which were growing increasingly popular. The show moved to the new Coliseum on Columbus Circle and added "International" to its name; not long after, Toyota and Datsun made their modest U.S. debuts. In the early 60's your reporter began driving down from Toronto to cover the event, undaunted by an end-to-end sprint on the New York Thruway. The weather was an added attraction, for spring would arrive earlier in Manhattan.

For enthusiasts like myself, the Chinetti display would be the one to see. The Chinettis were America's first Ferrari distributors, creators of the famous NART racing team; Luigi Chinetti was himself winner of many European endurance races. General Motors competed for attention with sensational mid-engine Corvette concepts and in one memorable year Jaguar launched the Mark 2 sedan. I was there for that one and was absolutely stunned by its beautiful lines (see above). Still am.

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"New York International Auto Show"