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Re: Ruminations over the Chicago Car Show

To: Gregory Petrolati <gpetrola@prairienet.org>
Subject: Re: Ruminations over the Chicago Car Show
From: mmcewen@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca (John McEwen)
Date: Sun, 23 Feb 1997 17:41:11 -0500
Hi Greg:

Thanks for the nice review of the Chicago show.  As a kid growing up in
forties/fifties Edmonton I always dreamed of going to one of the big shows.
I would have killed to see a GM Motorama.  However, it was not to be.
During the last 10 years or so we have had a new model show with some
"dream" cars etc. but it is nothing like the big shows.

Last AprilI went to New York to attend a conference of my wife's.  It was
her conference - I went along.  Having never been to New York I was
interested but a bit aprehensive about security, costs etc.  Imagine my
delight, just after I turned on the TV in the hotel, to discover that I had
arrived just in time for the New York International Auto Show at the Javits
Convention Center.  Needless to say, the sightseeing was put on hold.  It
was a wonderful experience.  The clincher was that after walking and taking
pictures for 4 hours, I discovered that there was a basement - with about
as many vehicles as I had just seen.  There must have been more than 1000
vehicles.

Yes, I loved the XK8 and yes, the coupe looks at least as good as the
convert.  I also loved - being an old Mopar fan - the Chrysler display.  It
was the outstanding effort at the show and was the busiest.  The Copperhead
wasn't ready yet, but I certainly drooled over the Prowler.  Incidentally,
the Prowler had the greatest number of people looking at it of any car in
the show.  I noted that they were mostly all grey-haired guys about my age.
Is this marketing or what?  The ultimate touch - for all us old guys - was
that the tach was not mounted in the dash but was attached to the steering
column - right where we all put them in the old days.

I certainly agree with you about the LBCs.  I remember something called the
Bentley Palm Beach (I think).  It may have been the convertible version of
the coupe you saw.  This was a very cool car even thought they stole the
name from Allard.  However I think the price was higher than all of my cars
and bikes put together.

The show was a fantastic thing and better than I could have imagined.  I
now think that I should try to attend the Chicago show in the future.  I
wonder when my wife has a conference there?

John McEwen



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