Detroit — Thousands poured into Huntington Place for the opening weekend 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.
A steady stream of families and couples entered the convention center Sunday, seeing classic cars from owner enthusiast collections upon entry. Then, attendees walked into the main floor to gaze at, sit in and even test drive new vehicles and collect automotive swag.
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Corey Edge of Ann Arbor, who drives a Toyota Rav4 Prime, checked out a silver 2026 Encore GX Avenir and was eager to see the show’s electric vehicle inventory during his visit Sunday.
“I wanted to come see what the cars are looking like this year … I was curious to see what the EVs are looking like and the plug-in hybrids this year,” said Edge, 39.
He was hoping to see a variety of upscale brands like Toyota’s luxury brand Lexus but so far, the Buicks were a point of interest.
“It’s a good turnout and I’m hoping a lot of people come to support the industry and Detroit since auto is so big here. I’m hoping it continues to flourish just given a lot of changes with politics and the new president.”
Nameplates on the floor include: Alfa Romeo, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Ford, GMC, Jeep, Kia, Lincoln, Ram, Subaru, and Toyota as part of corporate-supported vehicle displays. And dealer-supported vehicles on the main floor include Aston Martin, Audi, Ferrari, Honda, Hyundai, INEOS, Mercedes, Mini, Polestar, and Volkswagen. 
Some attendees took pictures with vehicles, got inside to feel the interior and even rode along with skilled drivers.
Janie Martinez snapped a photo of her husband Ben, who works for Delta Airlines — an auto show sponsor — while he sat inside a gray 2026 GMC Hummer EV SUV.
“I read about the Hummer EVs for a while and they’re pretty remarkable vehicles and would love to have one. Love the footprint, love the power, love the versatility, it’s a pretty neat vehicle,” Ben Martinez, 55, said.
His favorite part of the show was seeing a turquois Fiat 500 classic collector car. For Janie, the GMC Denali stole the show.
“I’m out of Atlanta and we came here today just for this event,” he said. “What surprises me is for a show as big as this, there are some automakers that are not here. As a first timer, I was surprised at that piece.”
Sam Klemet, 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,” Klemet said. “Lines to get in this morning were basically outside the building.”
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, Klemet said he was happy with the amount of attention the area was getting.
Among the most popular attractions at the auto show are 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.
Jacob Cantin and Dakota Snyder, both of Warren, said that was their favorite attraction from last year and planned to ride it again Saturday. At least, after they took a ride on the track inspired by the Detroit Grand Prix — albeit, much smaller.
Snyder said she was tagging along with her boyfriend Cantin, but joked she was slowly becoming a “car person” as well.
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.
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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.”
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