The 2010 Chicago Auto Show season kicked off on Wednesday morning, Feb. 10 with an earth-trembling start. Not only did 10 inches of fluffy snow befall the Windy City 12 hours earlier, but an earthquake shook things up at 4 a.m. that morning. The epicenter, approximately 40 miles west of downtown, sent shockwaves as far as Kentucky.

But…neither snow, tremors or cancelled flights could postpone the Chicago Auto Show kickoff breakfast, co-sponsored by the Midwest Automotive Media Association and the Chicago Automobile Trade Association. As usual, this early-morning car fest was full of surprises and honors. Before keynote speaker Mark Reuss, President of GM North America, rose to speak, MAMA President Jim Jackson invited Chicago auto legend Jim Mateja to the podium to distribute a well-deserved award. Mateja presented retiring CATA president Jerry Cizek with a life-time achievement plaque commemorating his countless hours of services and sleepless nights to the Chicago Auto Show during the past 30 years.

Cizek rose from humble beginnings. His first assignment at the Chicago Auto Show was to inspect the interior to spot leaks in the roof. Having excelled in this duty, Cizek soon found himself overseeing the entire event, a show that has grown in square feet, attendance and international prestige during his tut ledge.  

Dave Sloan, co-General Manager of the show spoke next at the podium and applauded the decision of Nissan and Infiniti to participate in the 2010 show. Although an 11^th hour and 59 minute call, their presence speaks volumes about the Chicago show’s connection with everyday folks. Also gone unseen is the coordination between laborers,  craftsman and show coordinators  to get the display up and running long after the floor plan was finalized.

Reuss warmed up the breakfast crowd with early accounts of time spent in Southern Illinois as the son of a mother of a coal miner’s daughter. Now finding himself in the northern corner of the Prairie State, Reuss commented about Chicago’s inherent beauty and the marvelous McCormick Place facility.

Concerning General Motors and its recent forced bankruptcy, he stated, “We have a chance to build an entirely new company from scratch. We’re moving again as we transition from eight brands to four.”

A top goal of GM is to continue building their relationships with its dealer network. “I see a lot of dealers who are energetic. Business is won or lost at the dealership lever because of the customer interface.”

Although not officially committing to the question of whether or not a Camaro Convertible would be coming soon from GM’s Bow-Tie division, Reuss quipped, “that would certainly be a very attractive and beautiful car.” Translated…expect a drop-top Camaro sooner rather than later.