Consumers Pick Favorite Vehicles and Exhibit at The Chicago Auto Show

CHICAGO, Feb. 18, 2008 -- 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.