Auto Shows
2016 was a great year for FCA at the Chicago Auto Show. Both the crowd favorite Camp Jeep track and the City Drive, a showcase of FCA’s Dodge, Chrysler, and Fiat brands, were in full force at the show.
Both tracks gave guests the opportunity to ride in the newest vehicles offered by FCA, with Gordinier Group drivers behind the wheel. Tasked with delivering detailed information about each vehicle while piloting guests up over and through technical obstacles, the GG drivers made countless positive impressions on CAS guests. The tracks operated at full capacity, bell-to-bell, for 10 days, setting a new record for registered guests at an auto show ride and drive.
Camp Jeep –
The Camp Jeep track is always a big hit in Chicago. This is no surprise, given the infusion of massive amounts of organic material (dirt, boulders, mulch) alongside the mobile properties that make Camp Jeep a thrilling ride that shows off the brand’s off-road prowess. The track features an 18-foot tall, pass-through mountain, staircase, Trail Rated pass, side-hill traverse, breakover and several other challenging obstacles.
City Drive –
The 2016 CAS City Drive track gave customers the chance to experience a ride in 2017 FCA vehicles such as Chrysler 300 and Pacifica, Dodge Charger and Challenger, or Fiat 500 and Spider 124. The track featured an ambient sound zone, vehicle info center, and everyone’s favorite, the acceleration/braking strip.
OCIAS in full swing with Disnneyland fireworks in the sky
While 2016 is still down the road a bit, the Orange County International Auto Show Camp Jeep is our unofficial kick off to the 2016 auto show season.
After a very busy summer with Ram Truck, Acura and Harley Davidson, Gordinier Group drivers changed gears and got back into their Jeeps – where most of our pro drivers got their start.
There were some concerns with our location in Anaheim this year (we were behind the hall instead of inside), but the Anaheim crowds were good to us once again, as Camp Jeep once again eclipsed the previous years’ metrics.
After OCIAS, the team will head south to the Miami International Auto Show. The ‘pre-season’ then closes out at Orlando, FL at the Central Florida International Auto Show, followed by the 2016 season opener – the San Diego International Auto Show.
Orange County International Auto Show – October 15-18
Miami International Auto Show – November 6-15
Central Florida International Auto Show – November 25-30
San Diego International Auto Show -December 31 – January 3
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- 2015 – Orange County AS – Trail Rated Pass
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- 2015 Miami Auto Show
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- Anaheim 2015
January – April 2015
With a lofty goal of increasing throughput / exposure while building on the premier experiential event in the industry, the entire CJAS team delivered again!
The standards were set higher and everyone involved rose to the occasion to make this program shine once again. Last fall we hit our one millionth Camp Jeep rider after 10 years. The next million will come much more quickly as we continue to improve throughput efficiency.
The 2015 “CJAS Tour” visited:
- Houston Jeep 1/21/2015
- Houston Ram 2/21/2015
- Washington DC Jeep 1/21/2015
- Philadelphia Jeep 1/29/2015
- Tulare Ram 2/10/2015
- Chicago Jeep 2/11/2015
- Chicago Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat 2/11/2015
- Dallas Ram 2/19/2015
- Cleveland Jeep 2/27/2015
- Cleveland Jeep 2/27/2015
- Minneapolis Jeep 3/7/2015
- Atlanta Jeep 3/24/2015
- New York Jeep 4/1/2015
- Denver Jeep 4/7/2015
This schedule wasn’t for the weak of heart, to be sure. There were many hours worked, laps driven, much experienced gained, and most importantly, many thousands of people exposed to FCA’s outstanding current product by Gordinier Group professional drivers.
We were once again humbled by (and thankful for) the opportunity to take the stage and represent the brand(s)!
February 12 – 22, 2015
In terms of indoor tracks, the Chicago Auto Show Camp Jeep and City Drive are the Superbowl of consumer test drive events. It is safe to say that this event has no peers when it comes to throughput , and the 2015 edition did not disappoint. Both tracks consistently maintained a 45-90 minute line from open until close each day of the show, proving that FCA is producing excellent product that people want to experience.
Camp Jeep –
This is our favorite indoor course every year. By using organic materials in conjunction with GPJ-designed modular steel obstacles, we create the atmosphere and feel of an outdoor setting, complete with live pine trees, dirt, mulch, logs and boulders. This course really gives consumers a chance to share a true off-road driving experience with us as they learn about the vehicle and it’s capabilities from our pro drivers. As an added bonus, we were thrilled to debut the 2015 Renegade Trailhawk, giving the public first crack at riding in this exciting new B-segment SUV from Jeep. As predicted, the vehicle was met with enthusiasm as it handled the course with aplomb. Both competitive vehicle owners and Jeep fanatics walked away from our course with smiles on their faces. Represented at Camp Jeep was the full Jeep lineup, including Grand Cherokee, Cherokee, Wrangler, Renegade, Patriot and Compass.
Here is a quick video produced by FCA’s social media team:
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10154636548441515
City Drive – In 2015, the SRT brand returned to the City Drive to the delight of the Chicago guests. The SRT Charger (and Challenger with Scat Pack), could be heard from anywhere in the McCormick Place when it hammered down the acceleration lane. Also represented on the City Drive track were the 2015 Doge Dart, Chrysler 300, 200, T&C, as well as the Fiat Abarth, 500L, and 500.
And here is a video of the City Drive (City Drive content starts at 4:19)