1984 Detroit Auto Show

2015.008.165
http://detroithistorical.pastperfecto...

U-Matic S tape containing silent footage shot of cars and displays at the 1984 Detroit Auto Show in Cobo Hall. The shots are free of visitors, with only a few workers appearing.

The tape begins with a short clip from a television soap opera followed by a short gap of blank tape. The auto show footage eventually begins with a series of shots of Cadillacs, including the Coupe De Ville and the Fleetwood Brougham. The camera then pans around the Chrysler Plymouth area, coming to rest on the Chrysler New Yorker display. Next the camera is driven around the floor, past the Pontiac section, in a motorized cart. The camera then pans across the Ford area, to the Pontiac area, ending with a zoom in on the Fiero convertible concept car. After another shot overlooking the Pontiac area, the camera moves to the Chrysler Laser display. The Ford Thunderbird is then is briefly filmed. The camera also zooms in on a display of two cartoonish figures seated inside of a similarly proportioned antique Dodge. Several other shots follow containing zooms through the Buick, Jeep/AMC/Renault, and Cadillac displays, and close-ups of the signage for Toyota, Porsche, Audi, and Honda. The Volkswagen Jetta display, the Cadillac Seville, and the Honda Civic are featured in the tape's final shots.

The video is on a 10-minute Sony U-Matic S tape with "Auto Show 1" handwritten directly on its shell. The tape is housed within a latching black plastic case with a "City of Detroit Department of Public Information Video Production label on its cover, labeled "Cobo/Auto Show 2."