An auto show , also known as a motor show or car show , is a public exhibition of current automobile models, debuts, concept cars , or out-of-production classics. It is attended by automotive industry representatives, dealers, auto journalists and car enthusiasts. Most auto shows occur once or twice a year. They are important to car manufacturers and local dealers as a public relations exercise, as they advertise new products and promote auto brands. The five most prestigious auto shows, sometimes called the " Big Five ", are generally considered to be held in Detroit , Frankfurt , Geneva , Paris and Tokyo . Car enthusiast communities along the historic U.S. Route 66 are credited with general popularization of car meets, including ethnic groups such as the Hispanos of New Mexico , Chicanos , and Mexican-Americans of the Southwestern United States ; lowrider , high technology , electric vehicle , and other enthusiast show, are popular in Los Angeles , Las Vegas , Albuquerque , San Francisco , and Chicago for this reason.
27-787: The Australian International Motor Show ( AIMS ) was an annual auto show held in Australia, alternating between the cities of Sydney and Melbourne . Prior to the Sydney event in 2010, both cities previously hosted separate annual exhibitions. Melbourne's version was known as the Melbourne International Motor Show , with Sydney hosting the Australian International Motor Show (known as the Sydney Motor Show prior to 2004). The Melbourne International Motor Show
54-472: A Ford or Mercury flathead, with an Edelbrock intake manifold , Harman and Collins magneto , and Halibrand quick-change differential . Front suspension hairpins were adapted from sprint cars , such as the Kurtis Krafts . As hot rodding became more popular, magazines and associations catering to hot rodders were started, such as the magazine Hot Rod , founded in 1948. As automobiles offered by
81-465: A hot rod as any motorized vehicle that has a replacement engine differing from the factory original. The forerunners to the hotrod were the modified cars used in the Prohibition era by bootleggers to evade revenue agents and other law enforcement. Hot rods first appeared in the late 1930s in southern California , where people raced modified cars on dry lake beds northeast of Los Angeles , under
108-403: A particular purpose, such as "hot-rodded amplifier ". There are various theories about the origin of the term "hot rod". The common theme is that "hot" related to "hotting up" a car, which means modifying it for greater performance. With regards to the word "rod", one theory is that it means roadster , a lightweight 2-door car which was often used as the basis for early hot rods. Another theory
135-759: A statement released on 25 February 2014, VACC and FCAI announced the dissolution of the Australian International Motor Show joint venture. On 20 May 2014, VACC announced a joint venture with the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) to create the Australian Motoring Festival to be held at Royal Melbourne Showgrounds on 26–29 March 2015. Auto show Some auto shows have more than just cars including: all sorts of other vehicles. The types of vehicles can include buses , trucks and almost any other types of vehicles such as Auto Expo in Delhi brings
162-505: A variety of vehicles ranging from private to commercial. The International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers organizes many auto shows, including the Big Five. These shows all have an advertising purpose. They are held as part of the sales strategy of the manufacturers. There are other car shows that are organized by car enthusiast associations, automobile dealers, retail businesses, charitable organizations, or municipalities. There
189-475: Is no definition of the term that is universally accepted and the term is attached to a wide range of vehicles. Most often they are individually designed and constructed using components from many makes of old or new cars, and are most prevalent in the United States and Canada. Many are intended for exhibition rather than for racing or everyday driving. The origin of the term "hot rod" is unclear. Some say that
216-1022: Is no generally accepted term for these more common events. Manufacturer car shows typically showcase vehicles currently being manufactured and available for purchase. Enthusiast car shows showcase individually owned vehicles, that are not currently being manufactured, and that are not available for purchase. Enthusiast car shows have rules of entry, limiting the types of vehicles that may be shown, e.g. classic cars , hot rods , single-models (Corvette, Packard, Mustang, etc.), type of vehicle (station wagons, pickup trucks, orphan brands, etc…) Enthusiast car shows usually draw their entries locally. There are many car shows in various localities across many nations. Some may even be free to go to. Hot rod Hot rods are typically American cars that might be old, classic, or modern and that have been rebuilt or modified with large engines optimized for speed and acceleration. One definition is: "a car that's been stripped down, souped up and made to go much faster." However, there
243-555: Is that "rod" refers to camshaft , a part of the engine which was often upgraded in order to increase power output. In the early days, a car modified for increased performance was called a "gow job". This term morphed into the hot rod in the early to late 1940s. The term "hot rod" has had various uses in relation to performance cars. For example, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment in its vehicle emissions regulations refers to
270-507: Is very little "vintage tin", the hot rods in Sweden are generally made with a home-made chassis (usually a Model T or A replica), with a Jaguar (or Volvo 240 ) rear axle, a small-block V8 , and fiberglass tub, but some have been built using for instance a Volvo Duett chassis. Because Swedish regulations required a crash test even for custom-built passenger cars between 1969 and 1982, the Duett option
297-657: The Ford flathead V8 engine (known as the "flatty") into a different car, for example, the common practice in the 1940s of installing the "60 horse" version into a Jeep chassis. Typical modifications were removal of convertible tops , hoods , bumpers , windshields , and/or fenders ; channeling the body; and modifying the engine by tuning and/or replacing with a more powerful type. Wheels and tires were changed for improved traction and handling. Hot rods built before 1945 commonly used '35 Ford wire-spoke wheels . After World War II , many small military airports throughout
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#1732854656332324-449: The greaser lifestyle. Magazines like Ol' Skool Rodz , Gears and Gals , and Rat-Rods and Rust Queens cover events and people. There are magazines that feature traditional hot rods, including Hot Rod , Car Craft , Rod and Custom , and Popular Hot Rodding . There are also television shows such as My Classic Car , Horsepower TV , American Hot Rod , Fast and Loud , and Chop Cut Rebuild . Particularly during
351-658: The 2009 show. Prior to the staging of the 2008 show in Sydney, the organisers of AIMS, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), and the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC), organiser of the Melbourne International Motor Show had commenced discussions to consider options for the future staging and organisation of motor shows in Sydney and Melbourne. On 3 February 2009 it was announced that these discussions had culminated in
378-424: The country were either abandoned or rarely used, allowing hot rodders across the country to race on marked courses. Originally, drag racing had tracks as long as 1 mi (1.6 km) or more, and included up to four lanes of racing simultaneously. As some hot rodders also raced on the street, a need arose for an organization to promote safety, and to provide venues for safe racing. The National Hot Rod Association
405-608: The decade passed. Hot rods were used as the theme of Lightning Rod , a Rocky Mountain Construction roller coaster at Dollywood . Locals in Sweden and Finland , influenced by American culture, have created a vibrant local hot rod culture where enthusiasts gather at meetings such as Power Big Meet in Linköping and clubs like Wheels and Wings in Varberg , both located in Sweden. Since there
432-457: The early 1960s, a genre of "hot rod music" rose to mainstream popularity. Hot rod music was largely a product of a number of surf music groups running out of ideas for new surfing songs and simultaneously shifting their lyrical focus toward hot rods. Hot rod music would prove to be the second phase in a progression known as the California Sound , which would mature into more complex topics as
459-539: The formation of a joint venture between FCAI and VACC to organise an automotive exhibition, which would alternate between Melbourne and Sydney biennially, commencing with Sydney in 2010. Under the joint venture, both the Sydney and Melbourne shows now use the existing Sydney title, "Australian International Motor Show" (AIMS). The Sydney Motor Show was held at the Sydney Showground in Moore Park until 1987. From 1988,
486-406: The major automakers began increasing performance, the lure of hot rods began to wane. With the advent of the muscle car , it was now possible to purchase a high-performance car straight from the showroom. However, the 1973 Oil Crisis caused car manufacturers to focus on fuel efficiency over performance, which led to a resurgence of interest in hot rodding. As the focus shifted away from racing,
513-587: The modified cars became known as "street rods". The National Street Rod Association (NSRA) was formed and began hosting events. By the 1970s, the 350 cu in (5.7 L) small-block Chevy V8 was the most common choice of engine for hot rods. Another popular engine choice is the Ford Windsor engine . During the 1980s, many car manufacturers were reducing the displacements of their engines, thus making it harder for hot rod builders to obtain large displacement engines. Instead, engine builders had to modify
540-650: The new Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre complex, in Southbank . The 2009 show was the last to operate under the "Melbourne International Motor Show" title. Until 2009, the show was usually held in March but commencing in 2011 it will be held in July. The Australian International Motor Show (AIMS) Joint Venture announced on 25 March that the 2013 Australian International Motor Show scheduled for Melbourne in June, will not proceed. In
567-553: The rules of the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), among other groups. This gained popularity after World War II , particularly in California, because many returning soldiers had received technical training. The first hot rods were old cars (most often Fords , typically 1910s-1920s Model Ts , 1928–31 Model As , or 1932-34 Model Bs ), modified to reduce weight. Engine swaps often involved fitting
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#1732854656332594-630: The show was relocated to Darling Harbour at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre . The first joint-venture AIMS motor was held in Sydney from 15–24 October 2010. In 2012 the show was held from 19–28 October 2012 at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre and included over 400 motor vehicles. The first Melbourne Motor Show was started on 30 April 1925. Until 1996 it was held at the Royal Exhibition Building then moved to
621-459: The smaller engines (such as using non-standard crankshafts and pistons ) to obtain larger displacement. While current production V8s tended to be the most frequent candidates, this also applied to others. In the mid-1980s, as stock engine sizes diminished, rodders discovered the 215 cu in (3.5 L) aluminum-block Buick or Oldsmobile V8 could be modified for substantially greater displacement, with mainly wrecking yard parts. This trend
648-544: The term "hot" refers to the vehicle's being stolen. Other origin stories include replacing the engine's camshaft or "rod" with a higher performance version. According to the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA), the term changes in meaning over the years, but "hot rodding has less to do with the vehicle and more to do with an attitude and lifestyle". For example, hot rods were favorites for greasers . The term has broadened to apply to other items that are modified for
675-539: Was founded in 1951, to take drag racing off the streets and into controlled environments. In the '50s and '60s, the Ford flathead V8 was supplanted by the Chrysler FirePower engine (known as the "early hemi"). Many hot rods would upgrade the brakes from mechanical to hydraulic ("juice") and headlights from bulb to sealed-beam. A typical mid-1950s to early 1960s custom Deuce was fenderless and steeply chopped, powered by
702-405: Was held from 1925 through to 2009; it was the longest running auto show in Australia. The Sydney show was originally titled Sydney Motor Show but the 2004 show signalled the adoption of the Australian International Motor Show (AIMS) title. AIMS continued to be held at Sydney annually until 2008, when the global financial crisis and poor attendances at the 2008 show resulted in the cancellation of
729-550: Was not limited to American cars; Volkswagen enthusiasts similarly stretched stock 1600cc engines to over two liters. The hot rod community has now been subdivided into two main groups: street rodders and hot rodders. There is a contemporary movement of traditional hot rod builders, car clubs and artists who have returned to the roots of hot rodding as a lifestyle. This includes a new breed of traditional hot rod builders, artists, and styles, as well as classic style car clubs. Events like GreaseOrama feature traditional hot rods and
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