Last Updated on May 19, 2025 by Matt Staff
Long before digital showrooms, car lovers gathered at auto shows to celebrate the beauty of the automobile. From the graceful lines of pre-war roadsters in the 1930s to the flash and muscle of postwar cruisers in the ’70s, these shows were full of pride, craftsmanship, and community spirit. People came not just to admire the cars, but to share stories, swap parts, and connect over a shared passion for the road.
You’ll see restored classics gleaming in the sun, proud owners standing by their prized machines, and crowds soaking in the sights of a slower, more hands-on automotive era. We hope you’re ready to see the cars and car shows of the 1900s, because that’s what we have for you. Here are 25 vintage photos of car shows from the ’30s through the ’70s.
1. Paris Auto Show, 1961
This is a photo of the General Motors Design.
2. The 1976 Chicago Auto Show
She’s calling home to see if they can afford the car.
3. Car shows in the ’50s
There was elegance all around in the ’50s.
4. See-through car display at the 1952 Chicago Auto Show
How did a see-through car never make it to the popular market?
5. The groovy ’68 Chicago Auto Show
Her dress matches the interior of the car.
6. The 1959 New York Auto Show
She’s posing with a Jaguar XK-150.
7. The Detroit Auto Show, 1960
Back when you could sit on a car’s hood without it caving in.
8. Chevrolet’s Astro III
On display at the ’69 Detroit Auto Show.
9. The Lincoln Futura
On display at the 1955 Chicago Auto Show.
10. The Chicago Auto Show
Auto shows in the ’70s were groovy.
11. The Paris Auto Show, 1965
That is one clean-looking car.
12. People gathering for the release of the Citroën DS
It was released at the 1955 Paris Motor Show.
13. The 1963 Chicago Auto Show
Cars were cooler in the ’60s.
14. The Oldsmobile Toronado
This car was modeled at the 1966 Detroit Auto Show.
15. The 1963 Quebec Auto Show
That plane is out of place at a car show.
16. Curiosity inspired by the Panhard Dynavia
This photo was taken at the 1948 Paris Auto Show.
17. The Time and Space Car
Shown at the 1956 New York International Auto Show.
18. The 1932 Chicago Auto Show
The ’32 Chicago Auto Show was at the Drake Hotel.
19. “Oldsmobile’s Brawniest Youngmobile”
This was on display at the 1968 Texas Auto Show.
20. Exhibiting the new Cadillac Eldorado
This car was on display at the 1960 Chicago Auto Show.
21. The 1969 Dodge Challenger Yellow Jacket
Name a more iconic photo, I’ll wait.
22. The 1975 Chicago Auto Show
Bring back the ’70s aesthetic.
23. The 1958 Corvette
The Corvette was invented in 1953.
24. At the 1960 Chicago Auto Show
The car she’s showing is the 1961 Oldsmobile Starfire Convertible.
25. People want to see the new line of American cars
This photo of this massive group of spectators was taken at the 1965 Detroit Auto Show in Cobo Hall.
Want to check out more vintage cars?
Check out 40 Vintage Cars From The Early 1940s, or take a look at 17 Vintage Cars That Were Unbelievably Cool in the 80s. Finally, if you’d like to check out people’s cars and bikes in the ’90s, check out 20 Vintage Photos of People’s Cars and Bikes in the ’90s.
