DETROIT – This year marks the 30th anniversary of the auto show's international status, and it also marks the last time the show will be held in January.
On Monday, during the mayor's annual visit to the show, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said he considers both of those milestones to be important.
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A lot of automakers aren't at the show, which changes the floor for the makers who remain. The mayor came in with a sense of nostalgia and anticipation as he inspected the show floor.
The mayor's visit is a holdover from another time, when contractors who built the show were notoriously tough to move along quickly and deadline organizers wanted to give them a reason to get the job done.
It's a time-honored tradition and, this time, the mayor received an update on the Ford stand, where the new Explorer will be featured.
The show has expanded both the Toyota and Lexus stands and Curt McAllister told the mayor he can expect an updated Supra.
"It's been over more than 20 years since Supra went away. It kinda lives through the "Fast and Furious" movies, but now it's coming back. We expect big things. We finally get our pony car back," McAllister said.
The mayor was in and out in about 15 minutes but at the end, he came away impressed.
"They are way ahead of where they've been in previous years' walkthroughs. There are a couple of years there I was wondering if they were gonna make it, but this time, it seems like they've got it under control," Duggan said.
"By and large, people come in and, in the cold, go to the show and go home. I think, when you look at June of 2020, you're gonna see just thousands and thousands of people on the streets of Detroit."
The mayor said, for those who grew up in Detroit, as he did, it's going to be a point of pride to tell the grandkids we used to come to the show in the snow and ice.