What's Your Fondest Auto Show Memory?

"Thunderface" (thunderface) 01/15/2015 at 12:35 • Filed to: Auto show

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For me, it was at a fairly small show in downtown Ottawa a couple years ago. At the Ford booth, they had a yellow FoST and a red Boss 302. I was a able to sit in both, and even hear someone rev the Boss.

The cars looked like this:

It was an amazing experience for younger me.

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > Thunderface 01/15/2015 at 12:42

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Sadly both of mine have to do with meeting Celebrities. When I was a kid I met Buck Rodgers (Gil Gerard) (Hey, I was like 5). And when I was a late teen I met Pam Anderson, pre plastic surgery. She was a beautiful woman.

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > Thunderface 01/15/2015 at 12:42

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I don't remember it, but at the 1996 Detroit auto show, McLaren had their papaya orange F1 LM. My dad asked the attendants, and I got to sit in it. I was only 1 at the time.

cazzyodo > Thunderface 01/15/2015 at 12:43

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Mine is two parts.

We (myself and a couple of my friends) were freshmen in high school going to the autoshow because OMG WE'RE TOTALLY GETTING OUR LICENSES IN A FEW YEARS!!1!1!!! In the years before my growth spurt sent me to 6'4", I was the smallest and youngest looking.

Which leads me to memory number 1: I scored the four of us children's admissions tickets.

While walking around and looking at all the shiny vehicles, shutting a friend in the trunk of a Camry (his own fault, really) and doing other non-highschool ass hat things (like get car wax for our parents! such good kids) we made our way to this huge Jeep demonstration.

Which leads me to memory number 2: I was too young to be able to participate but I sat and watched all the Jeep models go through their obstacle course. My love affair with the Wrangler began that day. I still have the itch for one.

But that entire day was so great...just good friends, clean cars, new concepts and fun.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Thunderface 01/15/2015 at 12:48

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I got on a bus in Boston and traveled down to New York City for the 2013 NYIAS just to get a peak at the WRX Concept. I spent the better part of a day at the show, going and sitting in all the cars around 3 when the crowds had thinned out. Excellent time, and it showed me that impulse travel decisions (I made the decision to go that Monday, four days before) are usually awesome.

SatriaFanboy > Thunderface 01/15/2015 at 12:51

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Back in 2000. I was six years old. My family and I went to a huge Motorshow here in Kuala Lumpur. At that time, I was really in love with the SN95 Mustang because of this playset:

Went to the show, I was excited to see the Mustang but sadly it was surrounded with some plexi glass blockade thingy and I cant go near it but man I was amazed as shit. Mind you that there's no Mustang in Malaysia back then. IIRC, it was a a red convertible Mustang with the New Edge styling face-lift. I still remembered it like it was yesterday.

Sn210 > Thunderface 01/15/2015 at 12:54

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I'm sure everyone thinks I'm a broken record, but I went to the Pebble Beach Concours this past August and it was like experiencing automotive nirvana.

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/tag/concours-d…

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Sn210 01/15/2015 at 12:57

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I hate you.

bwp240 > Thunderface 01/15/2015 at 13:00

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Oklahoma City Auto Show a couple years ago had Dodge do a test drive event. I got to drive the SRT8 Challenger and Charger; boy that was fun.

They also had the Jeep obstacle course that they were doing in Wranglers and Grand Cherokees. My friends and I did a lap in each. The Jeep rep in the GC would smash the brakes on the slope transitions and rock the car (because it was on 3 wheels at that point). My other friend and his wife showed up and we had them ride the course, we made them do it in the Wrangler first (with its great articulating suspension - no rocking at all), then in the GC. When the guy smashed the brakes in the GC and rocked the car on 3 wheels my friend's wife about pooped her pants, it was hilarious.

I also pulled a prank on my friends where I took the back glass out of a Chevy Avalanche and walk over to them with it and was like "Uhhh, I don't think this is suppose to happen..." then they all freaked out. So many lulz. I am surprised we didn't get thrown out.

citizennick > Thunderface 01/15/2015 at 13:01

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I've only been to two auto shows, both in Houston, but my fondest memory was fondling the steering wheel in a new Audi S4. I need that steering wheel in my life.

mazda616 > Thunderface 01/15/2015 at 13:05

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In 2005, my uncle took me to an auto show in downtown Indianapolis. I found the Pontiac booth. They were all excited about the then-new Pontiac G6. I purposely walked over to the Sunfire, which I knew was in its last year. It was parked over in the corner all by itself. A Pontiac rep strolled over and asked how I was (she clearly wasn't interested), and I started asking her all kinds of questions about the Sunfire - a soon to be dead model that she clearly knew nothing about nor had she been trained on. It was fun to make her uncomfortable, for sure.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Thunderface 01/15/2015 at 13:13

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I'll give you 2

1) First time attending the Detroit Auto Show (NAIAS)

2) Sitting in this the 2nd year this was at the Detroit Auto Show (I think it was locked first year and on a podium) and slamming through the gears on it - because I could!

Thunderface > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. 01/15/2015 at 13:13

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I share in this hate

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > Sn210 01/15/2015 at 13:15

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Damn, not much will top Pebble Beach.

Sn210 > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! 01/15/2015 at 13:18

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Goodwood FOS is on my bucket list next, but I don't know when I'll get there

ranwhenparked > Thunderface 01/15/2015 at 14:33

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The best and possibly worst are the same for me - begging my parents to take me to the 1989 Philadelphia Auto Show because Ecto-1 was supposed to be there. Well, it was, but the guy in the Ghostbusters costume standing next to it wasn't Bill Murray, he was a freaking imposter. Total waste of time.

DasWauto > Thunderface 01/15/2015 at 15:22

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Toronto auto show 2 or 3 years ago, the Zonda R was there and was the only reason I went. Despite being poorly displayed, it was glorious.

My affinity for the BMW e9 probably started at a small(ish)street classic car show in Waterloo. It was a beautiful black 3.0CS and I stared at that car for a good 15 minutes, hoping to meet the owner, before being pulled away by friends. I ended up seeing that same car and talking at length with the owner at a classic BMW show in Mississauga last summer. I don't have pictures on my phone but if you search Oppo for Tedfest, you'll find my photos.

E. Julius > Thunderface 01/15/2015 at 15:36

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Detroit Auto Show

I don't remember what year this was, but I'm pretty sure the Buick Lacrosse was a concept car so it was a while back. I was maybe 6 years old, and they had this guy demoing a ridiculous "feature" on the Lacrosse where you could speak commands like "door open" or "trunk close" and the car would do what you said. Me being so young, I was very impressed. After wriggling my way up to the front of the small crowd, the man presenting let me come up on stage and speak the commands into the microphone myself. Pretty cool memory.

sellphones2493 > Thunderface 01/15/2015 at 23:19

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I went to the auto show with my dad when I was maybe 8 years old. It was around 2001 or 2002 when Hyundai was still producing crap, aside from the current Elantra, which wasn't all too bad.

Long story short, I entered a contest by Hyundai for a chance to win a new Accent or Elantra - I can't remember. Ultimately, I'm pretty sure it was most likely an error that someone entered me into the contest. It was the last day of the auto show in Baltimore, and out of like 2,000 applicants, guess who's name they picked as the winner of this Hyundai.

ME, the 8 year old.

Legally, I couldn't get it. So instead, they gave me a backpack that said Hyundai.