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CIAS 2020 Classics: Back to the Future

Huw Evans
Autosphere » Collision » CIAS 2020 Classics: Back to the Future
The Cobble Beach Classics display featured 20th Century Disruptors, among them, Bill Mitchell's 1959 Chevrolet Stingray Racer prototype.
Oldsmobile's 1901-1906 Curved Dash Runabout was the first car built on an assembly line and a bestseller in its day.
1913 American Motors Company Underslung Scout Type 22A features an inversed frame, creating the long, low look that predominated a half-century later.
The Rolls-Royce 40/50 was named the Silver Ghost, due to the colour most were finished in and its ultra reliable and nearly silent six-cylinder engine. The model 40/50 was built from 1907 until 1926.
In a bid to upend rival Packard, Cadillac introduced its magnificent V16 for 1930. Although a loss maker, it raised the bar for engineering excellence and luxury standard. Production ended in 1940.
Bugatti's milestone Type 57 debuted in 1934. This Atalante Coupe, was one of four-body styles offered. Only 35 were ever made.
The 540K represented the pinnacle of Mercedes-Benz's power and prestige when it was launched in 1936. This rare, coachbuilt example, was ordered by Swedish Olympic Gold Medalist Max Gumple in 1937.
This 1938 Delahaye 135 MS sports Figoni et Falaschi coachwork, the very essence of the celebrated "French Curve."
Packard introduced dramatically restyled models for 1948 which helped the luxury marque outsell Cadillac until 1950.
The Stingray racer was privately funded by GM's VP of Design Bill Mitchell. It previewed the styling of the production 1963 Corvette Sting Ray-a milestone in automotive design.
The Anglo-American Shelby Cobra 289 was highly competitive in sports car racing. This one won the 1963 SCCA Championship.
Porsche's iconic 911 was introduced in 1963. Highly competitive in motorsport, it is still in production to this very day and still boasts a rear-mounted engine.
Pontiac's 1964 GTO was an option package on the Tempest that circumvented the rules and ushered in the muscle car era.
Introduced in 1966, the Lamborghini Miura re-defined the concept of the supercar with its mid engine configuration and sensational styling. This Miura S dates from 1969.
Oblivion display celebrated cars and culture from the transformative 1980s and ’90s. This Saab 900 SPG dates from 1990.
It doesn't get more ’80s than this. 1986 Subaru BRAT shares display space with period game boxes and cereal packets.
Who can forget the Knight Industries Two Thousand from NBC's Knight Rider? This true-to-form replica is based on a 1983 Pontiac Trans Am.
Mk II VW Jetta's were once a common sight on our roads. This one of 500 1989 Trophy Editions boasts just 21,000 km.
Jeep's SJ Grand Wagoneer was offered from 1984-91, though the original design dates back to 1962.
Chevrolet's Camaro IROC-Z was built from 1985-90. This final year model boasts the desirable 5.7-litre V-8 engine.
1997 Acura Type R was one of only 320 imported to North America that year.
No 1980s auto exhibit is complete without a 1981 DeLorean DMC-12, especially one with a Flux Capacitor.

Signifying the start of a new decade, CIAS 2020 chose to not only showcase innovation taking place today, but that which advanced progress in the golden age of the automobile.

Transformative Times was the theme of the 2020 Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto. If you believe mainstream media reports, we are living in arguably what could be described as the biggest change in the concept of personal transportation since the motor car was first invented.

Yet within that roughly 130-year time period, there have also been some remarkable automotive achievements and some of these were celebrated at the CIAS Cobble Beach Classics display this year. From the 1904 Oldsmobile Curved Dash Runabout, to the 1969 Lamborghini Miura S, each car in this year’s collection was a game-changer in its day, further advancing not only the concept and configuration of vehicles within a defined segment but also leaving a lasting impression on the industry as a whole.

Another fascinating display, particularly to those like myself who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s was Oblivion. The brainchild of Justin Sookraj, who has developed a renowned reputation for restoring and maintaining DeLorean DMC-12s, Oblivion was created as the definitive 1980s and 1990s cars and culture show. With two annual gatherings under its belt and a third planned for 2020 at Ontario Place, this is one event you don’t want to miss.

At CIAS, the Oblivion display featured a selection of prime vehicles from the new wave era, ranging from Knight Rider’s K.I.T.T. to a faithful recreation of the Back to the Future Part II time machine (nee DeLorean DMC-12), a pristine Mk II Volkswagen Jetta, Acura Integra Type R, Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z and Subaru BRAT. Alongside these vehicles, was an interactive vintage video arcade game display and plenty of ’80s and ’90s memorabilia.

In many ways the 1980s were transformative times in both the way we lived and the cars we drove. How fitting then, that this popular era was celebrated and represented at the 2020 Canadian International AutoShow.

Categories : Collision
Tags : Acura

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