Our History

The Cleveland Auto Show is a no-pressure, consumer show and a favorite family tradition featuring concept, pre-production and production vehicles from the world’s auto manufacturers, the show also includes an array of entertainment including celebrity appearances.

The first Cleveland Auto Show was held in February 1903 at Gray’s Armory in downtown Cleveland, featuring 15 Cleveland-made automobiles, in addition to several other manufacturer exhibits from other cities throughout the country. With leading automakers of the time, like Winton, White, Jordan and Peerless — just to name a few — the City of Cleveland was regarded as one of the leaders early in the American automobile industry. In fact, Cleveland was considered the first Motor City until 1908, when Detroit became center stage for the burgeoning industry.

The Ride-N-Drive experience was pioneered by the Cleveland Auto Show in the early 2000s, a concept that has since spread across the country in multiple variations and formats.

In 2024, the Cleveland Auto Show became a founding member of the Automotive Experience Alliance (AEA), an association focused on standardizing processes, messaging, and more, to drive more value for the entire automotive experience ecosystem, including consumers, OEMs, dealers, and suppliers.

Traditionally marking the start of the spring automotive selling season in Northern Ohio, the Cleveland Auto Show has long been considered one of the top auto shows in the nation, and is rated as one of the strongest in terms of its impact on a regional market.