Consumers have chosen the best of the best among the vehicles and exhibits at the 2006 Chicago Auto Show. Voters honored the favorites in five categories for this year’s auto show. The Ford Shelby GT 500, the high-performance Shelby version of the new generation Mustang, drove away with the Best All-New Production Vehicle award garnering over 42 percent of the vote. The car was the clear winner in the field with the Porsche Cayman S and the Dodge Caliber SRT4 a far second and third respectively.

Meanwhile, the Dodge Challenger concept, still fresh from a critical success at the Detroit Auto show last month, snatched the Best Concept Vehicle Award with a 35 percent share of the votes. It bested the other hot new concept, the Chevrolet Camaro by only 3% of the votes as well as the Dodge Rampage concept. However, the Rampage concept was adjudged as the Best Chicago Auto Show World Introduction.

The Jeep display, complete with a waterfall and a test track was honored as the year’s best exhibit with over 32 percent of the vote besting other spectacular displays from Ford and Dodge, Finally, the Chevrolet Camaro continued to draw raves as it was announced as the winner in the “Vehicle I most want to see in my driveway” category.

This is the first Best of Show balloting held at the Chicago Auto Show. “This show is renowned for its consumer impact and it focuses on the buying public, who express their opinions with their dollars at dealership showrooms. Best of Show voting gives consumer another method to express their opinions on the direction in which our industry is going.”, said Arthur Kelly, 2006 Chicago Auto show Chairman.