Curiousity about a single car, the prototype “runabout,” presented by Ransom Eli Olds, attracted 10,000 paying customers in 1900 at the first automotive show. It was held in Madison Square Garden in New York, the iconic indoor arena in downtown Manhattan. Attendees paid 50 cents.

Before the Los Angeles and Detroit shows arrived seven years later, Olds Motor Vehicle Company of Lansing, Mich., built 425 Oldsmobiles, making it the nation’s first automaker to produce cars in volume.

Despite interruptions by wars and disease, the auto show tradition grew. Manufacturers began showcasing vehicles directly to consumers, a stress-free alternative to the once more prominent aggressive salesmanship at dealerships.

The first LA Auto Show featured 99 vehicles on an ice-skating rink. It grew, organiz

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