The show is organized by the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association (WANADA) comprised of 250 corporate members. The inaugural Washington Auto Show was organized by a group of 20 local car dealers and distributors in order to sell the general public on the virtue of the horseless carriage.
The organizers planned to make it an annual affair, but the show has gone on hiatus twice, with war and poor economic conditions being the reasons. The Washington Auto Show was relaunched in 1983. Its first edition was held at the recently opened Washington Convention Center. Originally held during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, the show was moved to late January to coincide with US Congress’s return from recess.
Over the years, the Washington Auto Show has become one of the largest events of its kind in the United States, alongside the North American International Auto Show, the New York International Auto Show, the LA Auto Show, and the Chicago Auto Show.
The Washington Auto Show features a wide range of production cars and concept cars by leading brands. Its regular exhibitors include Acura, Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ferrari, FIAT, Ford, GMC, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jaguar, Jeep, KIA, Lamborghini, Land Rover, Lexus, the Lincoln Motor Company, Mazda, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche, Rolls Royce, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo, and others.
The show’s program includes interactive displays, contests, exhibits on futuristic technology, live music, family events, celebrity appearances, and more. The Washington Auto Show is known for its focus on showcasing the latest innovation in sustainable automotive technologies. Since 2009, it has been hosting the Green Car Vision Award ceremony.
