June 2016 - Greater Cincinnati Automobile Dealers Association

Gear Up for a Great Fourth of July

We’re heading into the Fourth of July weekend with some really great news for drivers: According to AAA, pump prices are set to hit an eleven-year low that will see average prices fall to a about $2.34 a gallon across Ohio. With weather forecasts calling for lots of sun and temperatures in the ’80s, it’s gonna be hard to find a better weekend to plan the road trip of your dreams.

If your Independence Day plans tend to include grilling out by the lake (and let’s be honest–they really should), check out this list of Ohio State Parks near Cincinnati. Hueston Woods State Park, a personal favorite, is only about an hour away and is a great destination for hiking, fishing, canoeing, and horseback riding, and generally isn’t overly crowded. Indiana and Kentucky also have some great options in this department.

The Reds will travel to Washington, D.C., to take on the Nationals in a four game series starting Thursday, June 30. Definitely a long haul, but for the die-hard fans and fearless road-trippers among us it’s hard to imagine anything more American that travelling to cheer on your home team in the nation’s capitol!

If you’d rather stay in town, Greater Cincinnati always has tons of events and attractions to appeal to families, art lovers, and music fans. If you can make it, this year’s Western & Southern / WEBN Fireworks at Riverfest promise to be one of the largest fireworks display’s in the Midwest.

Whatever you do, be sure to give your car a little TLC to make sure it’s ready for the heat before you hit the road–this article has some great maintenance tips to avoid any surprises. Stay safe, have fun, and Happy Independence Day!

Over a Century of Cincinnati Auto Shows

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The Cincinnati Auto Expo is the highlight of the year at GCADA, and has been a great opportunity for manufacturers to exhibit their latest offerings to the region’s prospective buyers and car enthusiasts. It might surprise you to find out that the history of Cincinnati’s Expo can be traced back almost as far as automobiles themselves!

In 1898 the Tristate Vehicle and Implement Dealers Association (GCADA’s forerunner) held it’s first convention and exhibit at the Cincinnati Music Hall. At first, there was “no effort made to have the general public become interested in these exhibits,” according to current reporting in the Cincinnati Enquirer. At this point, automobiles were too expensive for most, but as manufacturing increased so did public demand and curiosity, and by 1910 Cincinnati’s show was considered first rate:

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“Year’s ago Cincinnati attended the shows in New York, Chicago, Detroit and other cities for the purpose of seeing what her neighbors had to show in the motor line. Now it is different. They stay home and see what Cincinnati herself has accomplished during the year.” (Enquirer, 2/10/1910)

The show become a point of civic pride and the Cincinnati Automobile Dealers worked year-round to top their displays from the previous year: “Various civic leaders and others interested in the promotion of Cincinnati as a business center have expressed appreciation of the forward step taken by the Automobile Dealer’s Association in putting on a show of which the whole city can be proud.” (Enquirer, 1/28/1923)

At this year’s Auto Expo, we hope to continue this tradition of bringing Cincinnati a show it can be proud of, and hope to improve on every aspect of the show. We appreciate everyone who has helped keep this tradition, now over a century old, going, and hope you’ll continue to celebrate with us at the 2017 Cincinnati Auto Expo.