Detroit — Thousands poured into Huntington Place for the first day of the 2026 Detroit Auto Show, excited to peruse the latest in luxury cars, international brands and of course, the newest offerings from the Detroit Big Three.
And among the most popular attractions: the Ford Bronco “Built Wild” and the “Camp Jeep” areas both featuring towering “mountains” guests are driven up and other demonstrations of the vehicles’ capabilities.
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Jacob Cantin and Dakota Snyder, both of Warren, said that was their favorite attraction from last year and planned to ride it again. At least, after they took a ride on the track inspired by the Detroit Grand Prix — albeit, much smaller.
The Auto Show has something for everyone, regardless of interest in cars. Snyder said she was tagging along with her boyfriend Cantin, but joked she was slowly becoming a “car person” as well.
Sam Klement, executive director of the Auto Show, said Saturday was a “really positive” start to the show.
“The crowds are a lot larger than last year,” he said. “Lines to get in this morning were basically outside the building.”
Klement said the entertainers, including Detroit hip-hop artist GMAC Cash, were one of his favorite parts of the event.
Also new this year, is the Michigan Overland Adventure, an adventure-inspired environment that features custom-built trucks, off-road SUVs, adventure-ready rigs, and expedition equipment. So far, Klement said he was happy with the amount of attention the new area was getting.
Thomas Lichoulas, 50, said he’d last been to the Auto Show 25 years ago. This year, he brought his two teenage sons.
His son, Thomas Jr., wore a camera slung around his neck to take pictures of the cars he saw. His favorite so far? The Cadillac F1 and the Corvette concept car that greeted visitors as they entered the showroom.
In addition to the live demonstrations and latest models, guests can grab Auto Show and car brand merchandise, stop by the food court and even look at adoptable puppies from Happy Paws Haven.
The shelter is partnering with Subaru for the Auto Show and visitors can play with the dogs, and potentially adopt, Saturday and Sunday.
Both federal and state lawmakers used the event to get their messages out to voters. President Donald Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer held a press conference Saturday afternoon at the show as part of their Freedom Means Affordable Cars Tour that previously made stops in Ohio.
The Michigan Democratic Party launched a mobile billboard that ran around the Huntington Place convention center, calling out Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers for comments he made that there wasn’t a “Big Three” in Michigan anymore, which the party said discounted Stellantis and 48,000 U.S. auto workers.
Alyssa Brouillet, a spokeswoman for Rogers’ campaign, issued a statement in response to the billboard saying, “Democrats are for shipping jobs overseas and don’t understand the importance of American manufacturing. Decisions about American autoworkers should be made from the United States, not abroad.”
satwood@detroitnews.com

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