Detroit — Car enthusiasts expecting small crowds and extended time with the automotive industry’s newest fleet came to the auto show’s last showing day Sunday.
During a winter weather advisory that brought multiple inches of snow to the city, Detroit Auto Show attendees and their families showed up and were grateful for a less crowded showing of luxury brands and cars from the Big Three.
Bryce Sturgis of Macomb Township was impressed by the selection of performance cars, especially the Koenigsegg brand.
“It’s been a dream car of mine for as long as I can remember, to see one in person is really cool,” said Sturgis, 25, while checking out a blue 2025 Stelio Veloce AWD prices at $48,995. “The Big 3 that are here it seems like they have more cars than an average person could purchase.”
Drive-alongs, car quality demonstrations, and vehicle accessibility were top highlights for attendees who said they really felt they were experiencing the show rather than just being a spectator.
Officials at the Detroit Auto Show did not confirm how many people attended the event during its public show from Jan. 14 to Jan. 25, but thousands of locals and guests from out-of-state are estimated.
Sam Klemet, executive director of the show, said, “This year, the Auto Show felt alive in a new way. The crowds were huge, ride tracks were packed, interactive spaces were buzzing with families, and the show floor was filled with enthusiasts and buyers. Every day brought a different mix of people and experiences — and that’s exactly what we set out to create.”
Danielle McClendon of Highland Park took a video of the Ford Bronco’s rock crawl and snapped pictures of her son and boyfriend checking out vehicles. The paint and materials used to craft the fleet were a big highlight for her.
“They always have something for us to experience but there are so many now and the material that they have in here is beautiful. It’s definitely different from before, there were a lot of places where you couldn’t touch anything, but now it seems like everything is pretty much open. The experience is much greater now than it was back in the day,” said McClendon, 38.
The 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV driver, who self proclaimed as a “Chevy girl,” said that General Motors’ fleet was overwhelming in a “nice, beautiful” way, especially the Chevy Tahoe which was “awesome and impressive.”
“Something about that engine, the feel of the car is just totally different. It’s just a vibe you don’t get with other cars,” McClendon said.
Luke Pino and his father, Frank, made the Michigan Overland Adventure one of their first stops, seeing off road vehicles like the Ford Bronco Sport and more.
“I’d like to see more gas powered cars instead of EV, personally. That’s just me,” Luke Pino said. “There’s less concept cars, prototype cars than there used to be out … you’re getting a lot of cars that you can physically go get now.”
“I like the fact that it’s snowing outside and it’s not too busy in here,” Frank Pino said. Luke Pino added: “It makes it easier to get pictures,” he said, while pointing at the professional camera he brought.
“It’s condensed a little bit, but it’s nice, you don’t have every automotive manufacturer in here and they don’t have a bunch of cars all crammed together. It seems like it’s a little more organized and you can really spend some time looking at cars that you like,” Frank Pino said.
mjohnson@detroitnews.com
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