The Detroit Area Dealer Association hosted the very first Detroit auto show in 1907. The show was held at Riverview Park, near the bridge to Belle Isle.

From 1941-1953, the Detroit auto show was put on hold due to WWII war efforts.

It wasn’t until 1957 that the event was transformed into an international exhibition with the addition of foreign automakers Volvo, German Isetta, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and Porsche.

In 1965, the auto show moved into Cobo Hall.

A major growth spurt came in 1987, according to auto show organizers: "When Detroit Auto Show management learned that Cobo Hall was in the process of a major expansion to double its size, they decided to expand the show, a decision that received virtually unanimous support from dealer members of the Detroit Auto Dealers Association."

As the auto show grew in size and international importance, the name was changed in 1989 to the North American International Auto Show.

These photos, courtesy of the Detroit Public Library’s National Automotive History Collection, show the Detroit Auto Show between 1910-1912.

The trade show was then held at Wayne Gardens, a riverfront convention center and hotel that once sat off of Jefferson Avenue and Third Street, where Joe Louis Arena and the adjacent Cobo Center, home of the North American International Auto Show, stand today.

Starting in 2020, the annual show, which has traditionally been held in January at the Cobo Center in Downtown Detroit, will be held in June, organizers announced this year. The move will allow companies to display more outdoor exhibits.

This year’s show, the last to be held in January, begins this week with media and industry previews. It opens to the public Jan. 19.

Full Detroit auto show coverage here.

Take a closer look at historic auto show photos here.

More historic photo collections: