Detroit Auto Show opens as industry pares back splashy debuts and leans on test tracks

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Auto Show returns this week, offering an opportunity to take a peek at the cars of today and tomorrow and also go for a spin.

The annual car-fest at a Detroit convention hall features a lineup of 40-plus vehicle brands. At last year’s show, organizers say attendees took more than 100,000 rides in them.

“That’s what makes the Detroit Auto Show different,” show chairman Todd Szott said. “You can get up close, talk to the people behind the brands and actually experience the vehicles.”

The Detroit Auto Show once was the place for new model debuts, glitzy displays and scores of journalists from across the globe. Automakers since have determined that new models can make a bigger splash when they are unveiled to a digital audience on a day when they don’t have to share the spotlight with rivals.

President Donald Trump visited the Detroit area Tuesday afternoon, touring a Ford plant in Dearborn that makes the ultra-popular F-150 pickup truck before delivering remarks during a meeting of the Detroit Economic Club.

The president touted his tariff policy, telling business leaders at a casino-hotel that “our workers are thriving.”

“And our auto industry is returning to the country where we all began, and where it all began,” Trump said.

While the Detroit Auto Show has scaled back dramatically from its heyday, it still drew 275,000 attendees a year ago. And it is leaning into interactivity.

Two tracks offer attendees ride-along experiences in internal combustion engine, hybrid and electric vehicles, while the Camp Jeep and Ford Bronco Built Wild Experience give visitors a chance to climb into the vehicles and tackle some makeshift “mountains.”

The show gets underway Tuesday evening with vehicle announcements from Ford Motor Co. as part of the media and industry preview days. On Wednesday, the annual North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year will be revealed. The show opens to the public Saturday and runs through Jan. 25.

Visitors can check out displays under the Alfa Romeo, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Ford, GMC, Jeep, Kia, Lincoln, Ram, Subaru and Toyota nameplates.

Speakers include Republican U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno from Ohio, and a pair of Democrats — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Pete Buttigieg, the Transportation Secretary under President Joe Biden.

FILE - Todd Szott, left, president of the Detroit Auto Dealers Association and dealer partner at Szott Auto Group, talks with Rep. Hillary Scholten, D-Mich., center left, as Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., second from right, talks with his press secretary, Brennan Sullivan, as they tour the Detroit Auto Show, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez. file)

President Donald Trump listens to Corey Williams, Ford River Rouge Plant Manager, left, and Bill Ford, Executive Chairman of Ford, during a tour of the Ford River Rogue complex, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Dearborn, Mich. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

FILE - The General Motors display is seen, which includes a 2025 Silverado ZR2, foreground, at the Detroit Auto Show, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez, file)

President Donald Trump speaks to, from left Bill Ford, Executive Chairman of Ford, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Jim Farley, CEO of Ford, and Corey Williams, Ford River Rouge Plant Manager, during a tour of the Ford River Rogue complex, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Dearborn, Mich. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

FILE - Guests are given a ride in a Bronco on a track at the Detroit Auto Show, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez, file)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Emmy Award-winning actor Timothy Busfield turned himself to authorities on Tuesday to face child sex abuse charges in New Mexico stemming from allegations that he inappropriately touched a minor on the set of a TV series he was directing.

His apprehension comes after authorities in Albuquerque issued a warrant for his arrest on Friday on two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse. A criminal complaint alleges the acts occurred on the set of the series “The Cleaning Lady,” which was filmed in Albuquerque.

Busfield, who is married to actor Melissa Gilbert, is known for appearances in “The West Wing,” “Field of Dreams” and “Thirtysomething,” the latter of which won him an Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series in 1991.

Busfield was being booked by Albuquerque police on the charges, said Gilbert Gallegos, spokesperson for the city police department.

Busfield denied the allegations last fall when interviewed by authorities as part of an investigation, the complaint said.

NBC shelved an episode of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” that featured Busfield and was set to air Thursday, a network spokesperson confirmed Tuesday to The Associated Press. Busfield was guest-starring as the judge on the long-running show, which focuses on sex crimes.

The criminal complaint filed by an investigator with the Albuquerque Police Department says the boy reported that he was 7 years old when Busfield touched him three or four times on private areas over his clothing. Busfield allegedly touched him five or six times on another occasion when he was 8, the complaint said.

The child was reportedly afraid to tell anyone because Busfield was the director and he feared he would get mad at him, the complaint said.

The boy's twin brother told authorities he was touched by Busfield but did not specify where. He said he didn't say anything because he didn't want to get in trouble.

When interviewed by authorities, Busfield suggested that the boys' mother was seeking revenge for her children being replaced on the series. He also said he likely would have picked up and tickled the boys, saying the set was a playful environment.

Busfield’s attorney did not immediately return a message seeking comment Tuesday. A video obtained by TMZ showed Busfield in front of a window with the Albuquerque skyline in the backdrop. He said he arrived in the city after driving 2,000 miles (3,219 kilometers).

“I’m going to confront these lies. They’re horrible. They’re all lies,” Busfield said.

The mother of the twins — who are identified only by their initials in court records — reported to Child Protective Services that the abuse occurred between November 2022 and spring 2024, the complaint said.

Busfield’s wife, Gilbert, indicated through a publicist that she won’t speak publicly at the request of attorneys for Busfield while the legal process unfolds.

“Her focus is on supporting and caring for their very large family,” publicist Ame Van Iden said in a statement. “Melissa stands with and supports her husband and will address the public at an appropriate time.”

The investigation began in November 2024, when the investigator responded to a call from a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque. The boys' parents had gone there at the recommendation of a law firm, the complaint said.

According to the complaint, one of the boys has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. A social worker documented him saying he has had nightmares about Busfield touching him.

“The Cleaning Lady” aired for four seasons on Fox, ending in 2025. The show was produced by Warner Bros., which according to the complaint conducted its own investigation into the abuse allegations but was unable to corroborate them.

Associated Press journalist Mallika Sen in New York contributed to this report.

FILE - Actor Timothy Busfield smiles before an NFL football game in Detroit, Sept. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)