With just weeks left before the 2026 Detroit Auto Show opens doors at Huntington Place, Sam Klemet, executive director of the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, and Todd Szott, chair of next month's signature event, appear on Michigan Matters to talk about the buildup taking place right now for it.

The Detroit show, held Jan 14-25, will attract hundreds of thousands to the area as automakers, tech companies and more gravitate to downtown Detroit as they have since it was first held in 1907.

Klemet talked about the Drive Home Rally, the Gallery, media days, and more, as well as the Charity Preview, where Robin Thicke will be performing, and the displays of new vehicles from Ford, GM, Stellantis, Toyota and others.

Szott, who owns five dealerships, talked about the show and its impact on the community.

Then, the high-powered auto roundtable of Jeff Gilbert, of WWJ Newsradio 950, John McElroy, of Autoline, and Mark Phelan, of the Detroit Free Press, discusses the state of autos and dealers amid a busy time in the industry.

The trio talked about the Trump administration's announcement this week that it was proposing rolling back some of the CAFÉ standards that had been put in place by the Biden administration.

And the three — all judges in the NACTOY's car, truck and utility vehicles of the year awards, which will be given out at the Detroit show — shared thoughts about it.

(Watch Michigan Matters at its new time: 5:30 a.m. Sundays on CBS Detroit and 9:30 a.m. Sundays on CW Detroit 50 WKBD). 

(Carol Cain is the 13-time Emmy-winning senior producer and host of Michigan Matters).