Giddy. That’s what I was last week. The reason can be explained in three words: Chicago Auto Show.

Saturday morning, despite wind, snow and accidents dotting the landscape, I steadily motored to this mecca of automobile enthusiasts. Having reluctantly paid the $16 parking fee, I made my way into beautiful McCormick Place for the 99th convening of this historic event.

It did not disappoint. To describe the atmosphere as overstimulating would be an understatement. I was surrounded by bright lights, thousands of people and, most importantly, hundreds of beautiful, gleaming automobiles. I was able to touch them and sit in them, to feel their sumptuous leather-wrapped steering wheels and supple seat cushions. The smell of leather was in the air, as well as rubber and gasoline. I saw exotic Lamborghinis, sporty BMWs and homegrown Mustangs. I even got a picture with my favorite hunk of metal, the gorgeous-yet-intimidating Dodge Viper.

More than an opportunity to salivate over cars I will never own, the Chicago Auto Show and others like it are vital links between the manufacturers and the customers – and are proof the industry is going in a positive direction. Auto companies have been holding these events to test public opinion on new ideas and trends in the auto world. While their current models are on display, most companies make it a point to have at least one concept car with design themes and technology they hope to implement in future models. These can include safety features, fuel saving technology or a new paint. Depending on public reaction, they decide yea or nay. While these concepts are often impossible or far from production, they can be very close to what you can expect in a new vehicle. For example, Chevy’s new Camaro will be built in 2009, and will look very much the same as it does in concept form.

The task auto companies face in producing and displaying new vehicles is daunting. They are in a position to essentially revolutionize something, yet leave it the same. It is their job to freshen cars – to contemporize them with new styling and technology. But it’s also their job to make the cars feel like the same ones Americans have grown to know and love. People wanted a new Camaro, but they wanted to know that it was a Camaro by simply looking at it.

The same goes for any new trend in the industry, including hybrid technology, fuel cells, high horsepower, bold styling, etc. I think the majority of the public is open to new technologies, but they want them to feel the same. This is why hybrids are succeeding. Though radically different in many ways, they are still the quintessential car for a driver.

That’s what I saw Saturday. Ford is testing a return of big, powerful rear-wheel drive sedans that would deliver decent fuel efficiency. Chevrolet is examining the possibilities of an innovative approach to hybrids with its Volt concept. Countless others are taking radical approaches to what a car can be and displaying them at events like the Chicago Auto Show. As radical as they were, every time I viewed one, there was no doubt that it was a car. There was no doubt I could climb inside and drive practically the same way Americans have for the past 100 years – with a big grin on my face.