Crowds filed into the North American International Detroit Auto Show when it opened its doors to the public at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Many attendees had smiles on their faces as they participated in new and traditional auto show experiences, such as getting in and out of vehicles, purchasing food and merchandise and testing out cars. Representatives of car companies held presentations about special vehicles in the showroom.
Lines were continuously getting longer for the immersive ride-along experiences that Powering Michigan, Ram, Jeep and Ford are hosting.
The new Exotic and Luxury Showcase — which is full of supercars from Bentley, Ferrari, Rolls Royce and McLaren — began to get crowded as the auto show approached the afternoon. Phones were in the air as attendees tried to capture photos of the exotics. People also crowded the display of a flying car, created by Alef Aeronautics.
What attendees didn't see, however, was any activity surrounding the United Auto Workers' historic strike, launched after the deadline for a new contract passed with the three Detroit automakers Ford Motor Co., General Motors and Stellantis, which makes Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Fiat brands. No UAW picketers were noticeably present at the auto show as of Saturday at 3 p.m.
Here’s how things went at the auto show on the first public day:
Things to do
Just before entering the showroom, there are many booths that are selling products, sharing information about companies and hosting activities for kids. One of those booths is led by Mattress Firm, which has several medical-grade massage chairs in case visitors need a break. During the auto show’s media days Wednesday and Thursday, people were taking full advantage of the opportunity by taking a nap. During the first public day on Saturday, people did the same.
“What most people don't realize is that getting a regular massage helps out with circadian rhythm, which will help you get a better night's sleep,” said Nesha Nichols, senior sleep expert at Mattress Firm. “So, there's a lot of health benefits that come along with getting a daily massage.”
The massage chairs will be available for use until the end of the auto show, which runs through Sept. 24.
Lines were long at the off-road experiences that are hosted by Ram, Jeep and Ford. Participants are able to ride with company representatives who drive on imitation tracks. The imitation hills reach the heights of the showroom, and the tracks give the true outdoor experience by featuring wood chips, dirt and trees.
And the kids were able to test drive vehicles, too. In the front of Huntington Place, the Kids Car Club is open on weekends, and the Camp Jeep Kids’ Zone is also open. Savannah Richardson, who is 20 months old, had the opportunity to test drive a kids-sized ride-on Jeep 4xe with the help of her mother, Shannon Thorington. Savannah was trying to figure out how to operate the toy car, so a representative of Jeep stepped in to help.