For the second time in a month, I had a fantastic time at an auto show. Chicago World of Wheels far exceeded my expectations.

Chicago World of Wheels debuted at Navy Pier in Chicago in the winter of 1962. In 2010 the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois, became the new show home. In its 52nd year, the show was bigger than ever.

Being my first time at Chicago World of Wheels, I didn’t know what to expect. Upon entering, I saw the large exhibition hall filled with hundreds of vehicles. As I assessed the scene, the first dealer told me it was even bigger, extending into other, adjoining halls. He wasn’t exaggerating, as I had never seen a convention use this much space here.

As expected, there were vehicles of every sort. There were luxury vehicles, muscle cars, classics, dragsters and many more. Most were accompanied by proud owners who gladly told their stories and answered questions.

Other features of the show included The Jack Trepanier Legacy Award, celebrating the history of a chosen vehicle. Among car enthusiasts, this is a major award.

There also was the 17th Annual Chicago Brushmasters Charity Art Auction. This could have been an event in itself. The same could be said for CycleRama, a motorcycle section of the show featuring dozens of cycles.

One of the most popular sections, especially among the younger crowd, included pop culture vehicles. The Batmobile, Barbie’s pink Cadillac and the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine drew large crowds all night.

Yoga instructor and WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus was a special attraction. Although she drew a huge crowd, she made every encounter special to her fans. Knowing her from events, I spent a little extra time with the Canadian legend. Of course, we talked travel. She flew in from Toronto for this show but was flying to Lexington later to attend another convention. Stratus racks up a lot of air miles.

I planned on spending a couple hours meandering through the show. Instead, I found myself there until it closed for the night, and I still hadn’t inspected everything. Fortunately, there were two more days to explore the rest of the convention.

— John Wroblewski, online writer