A Look Back at 1989 Chicago Auto Show

The final 80s edition of the Chicago Auto Show offered consumers a glimpse into the trend for the 90s: quality. Many of the new-for-1989 models featured improved handling and increased horsepower over 1988 cars, and quality started to become the new buzz word in the industry.

Mazda typically uses the Chicago Auto Show to introduce new models to the public for the first time. During the ’89 show, the two-seater MX-5 "Miata" convertible had its world's unveiling, which demonstrated how the Japanese would create a British roadster.

It looks like the Miata below wears RS Watanabe's iconic 8-spoke wheels painted the same color as the body.

1989 was also the year Nissan redesigned its 300ZX for 1990 and gave those attending the ’89 Chicago Auto Show an early look at its performance sports car.