Toronto Auto Show Braces for 40th Annual Event

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy

This day in 1974, newspapers proudly published the Skylab astronauts safely descending back to earth. In the city of Toronto, the music store turf war between Sam the Record Man and A&A Records was still a fixture on Yonge Street. February 8^th of 1974 was also an important time in establishing an annual mid-winter tradition for varying degrees of automotive enthusiasts. Opening for what would evolve into Canada’s largest exhibition of cars and trucks, the first Toronto Auto Show hosted vehicles from North America, Japan and Europe. During the 10-day event that year, the display would eventually become a serious national happening recognized as the Canadian International AutoShow.

First staged as the International Centre near the Woodbine Race Track and Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, the 1974 Toronto Auto Show was an exhibition that reignited the spectacle of seeing many of the newest cars in one spot. As the trend of automobiles caught on through the 1920s, Toronto’s first public collection of new vehicle technology was part of the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition). In 1929, the Automotive Building housed 51 cars. The CNE auto show remained a draw until the Second World War altered the event into a military display. Despite the end of fighting in 1945, the vast annual display of automobiles did not return. The show would return in the 1950s and last until the 1967 CNE show. In later years, the Toronto CNE Grounds hosted the arrival of many non-North American brands including Volkswagen and Isuzu. Seven years later, an International caliber auto show would return to the city with the Toronto Automobile Dealers Association sponsorship.

With more than 300 new vehicles and other displays, the 1974 edition of the auto show at the International Centre contained a car-racing movie screenings as well as a figure skating show. Admission to the first-ever Toronto Auto Show was $2.50 for an adult. Growing in prominence, the Toronto Auto Show relocated in 1986 to the than-newly constructed Metro Toronto Convention Centre. By the mid-1980s, the auto show was able to swell to 500 new vehicles including a Lamborghini Countach, Audi 5000 quattro and a very rare TVR 390SE sports car. In the 1990s and 2000s, the show would also occupy the Skydome (now the Rogers Centre) with manufacturer displays.






In the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the Canadian International AutoShow has continued to thrive as an annual exhibition. As well as featuring the newest vehicle models from leading car companies, the Canadian International AutoShow also lures the best of car culture into a hospitable climate. Special displays in recent years have brought classic collections of Chevrolet Corvette, Shelby, Chevy Camaro and Triumph brand vehicles into the show. While the crippling effects on the 2009 automotive industry did cause some consolidation as manufacturer displays shrank (the Rogers Centre would be excluded from the Canadian International AutoShow’s floor plan in 2010), following editions of the show drew back car company enthusiasm and spectators. Posting an attendance of 253,384 people in 2009, the 2012 Canadian International AutoShow ballooned to a record of over 316,000 spectators.




For the 40^th annual display since the 1970s revival, the 2013 Canadian International AutoShow will open to the public on February 15^th unveiling over 125 distant displays. This year’s auto show in Toronto will compose of $30,000,000 worth of new cars with the Auto Exotica display (consisting of many six-figure super vehicles) pressing the collection’s value up substantially higher. The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, SRT Viper, Ford Fiesta ST and the BMW M6 Gran Coupe will be part of more than 1,000 vehicles inside the 500,000 square-foot Metro Toronto Convention Centre event. Cruise National, Auto Exotica and Eco Run Exhibit featuring fuel-efficient transportation solutions will be returning in 2013. Special displays in 2013 consist of Canadian Hot Rod Builders Showcase and the Sport Compact Evolution sections.

Special thanks to the Toronto Star Pages of the Past archive

　

New Dallara DW12 INDYCAR at 2012 Canadian International Auto Show

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy

Last week, I had the privilege of attending the media day festivities for the 2012 Canadian International Autoshow. Happily observing the auto show as an assignment for Automoblog.net, there was more than one instance where motorsports interests were stoked at the Toronto exhibition. Part of an exciting display of new production and concept-based Honda vehicles was the all-new Dallara Indy car.

A show car representing the final shape for the new Dallara DW12 chassis open wheel fighter, this race vehicle will deliver a technological step forward for the IZOD INDYCAR Series. Powered by a choice of twin-turbocharged, 2.4 liter V-6 powerplants from Chevrolet, Lotus and (of course) Honda, the latest Dallara chassis/engine combination more technologically-advanced than the normally-aspirated V-8 engine formula existing in the series since 1997. Despite being a newer, more competitive package, the 2012 Indy car engineered to be less expensive for teams to operate while offering improved safety and drivability. Built around a carbon fiber monocoque, the new Dallara Indy car can wear a multitude of varying body kits the leaque hopes to rolls out starting in the 2013 season.

Keen followers to the progress of the Indy car will notice some minor differences from the mid-2011 show car. Witnessing the concept version of the 2012 Dallara at the 2011 Honda Indy Toronto in road course trim, the present design referred to a vehicle yet to be formally track-tested. While the oval version of the refined 2012 Dallara Indy car is not an exact comparison of the advancements made thanks heavily to the test driving of late Indy 500 champion Dan Wheldon, there are some elements that stick-out as altered. The final vehicle featured at the 2012 Canadian International Auto Show withdrew the Dallara's engine cover shark fin and is overall composed of less stylized body lines. The more polished piece displayed at Toronto also carried another more symbolic detail. Honouring the life and achievements of the 2012 car's test driver Dan Wheldon, the Dallara chassis wears the designating initials 'DW' as a continuing tribute.

2012 Dallara Cars: 2011 Road Course Concept (Above), 2012 DW12 Oval Car
  Photo Credit: Chris Nagy

Set to premiere on the St Petersburg street course on March 25th opening the 2012 IZOD INDYCAR Series sechedule, many opern wheel fans in North Ameica will be eager to see the Dallara DW12 live up to the highest of potential.

Motorsports at the 2010 Toronto International Auto Show

Photo Credit: Christopher Nagy/XSL Speed Reporter

Attending the 2010 Toronto International Auto Show, I took a break from the shiny presentation of all-new street vehicles to visit a more unique display at this year's event.

Located in the on level 700 of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the majority of the floor paid tribute to the abundant history of American sports car Kingpin Carroll Shelby. Not only was there a slew of Shelby Cobras, modified Mustangs and the rare GT40, the showcase also included cars significant to Shelby's racing career as a driver. A relatively short career which was ended due to personal health problems, Shelby started racing as a hired gun first for drag racing but more memorably for road racing. Shelby's 2nd and 3rd cars (a MG-TC and an Allard) were represented as well as a replica of an Austin-Healey he ran in the 1954 Carrera Pan Americana Mexico rally.


Photo Credit: Christopher Nagy/XSL Speed Reporter

Past the Shelby exhibit, I ventured into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame. A collection of cars stocked with a choice sampling of vehicles wearing the maple leaf flag in competition.

Entering the small hall, the first car to greet me was a Midland F1 M16 race car. Since the team was classified as a Russian F1 team, the Canadian connection wasn't entirely clear. I needed to take a brief modern history lesson to learn that the Midland F1 Racing was owned by a Russian-born Canadian business Alex Shnaider. Co-founder of the Midland Group, Shnaider's ventures includes the current Trump International Hotel and Tower scheduled for completion in 2010. The Midland F1 Racing team existed for one season in 2006 having previously been the Jordan Grand Prix organization. Absent the Toyota powerplant which propelled the Formula 1 car, the Midland F1 car's place in the display is now clear.

Deeper in the Hall of Fame exhibit, another Formula 1 car sat representing to more successful efforts of Walter Wolf. Wolf, like Shnaider, was a foreign born man who settled in Canada who entered into grand prix contention through the mid to late 1970s. Walter Wolf Racing, proudly displaying the Canadian flags, was founded for the 1977 season with future Formula 1 World Championship driver Jody Scheckter piloting the race car. In the hall was one of the Wolf WR1s that competed in the maiden season which included one of the team's three F1 victories.


Photo Credit: Christopher Nagy/XSL Speed Reporter


On the right of the Wolf WR1 is probably the most prestigious car in the display. The 2000 winner of the LMP675 class at the LeMans 24-hour race, the Nissan-powered Lola was campaigned by Markham, Ontario's Multimatic Motorsports, Along with being a Canadian-owned entry, the driver lineup was an all-Canadian contingent of John Graham, Scott Maxwell and Greg Wilkins.


Photo Credit: Christopher Nagy/XSL Speed Reporter


Last but certainly not least, the eye-catcher in this Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame exhibit was a #99 Reynard chassis wore the famous Players blue and white colours. With the tobacco brand a staple in the open wheel series for 11 seasons, this car from 1999 wore the name of late, great BC native Greg Moore on the bottom of the roll hoop.



Photo Credit: Christopher Nagy/XSL Speed Reporter

Providing only a snapshot (pardon the pun) for the rich auto racing history of Canadians, the vehicles within this exhibit are without the drivers that once piloted these race machines. However, unlike the beautiful, newborn factory creations that consumed much of Metro Toronto Convention Centre, these vintage race cars radiate the sweat and passion of their former drivers as a lasting time capsule.