The Detroit auto show has opened with a renewed optimism as confident carmakers forecast more growth and unveiled powerful new trucks, sexy sports cars and an abundance of luxury.
Manufacturers may struggle to capture the attention of the 5000 journalists amidst back-to-back reveals and they have poured more than $US200 million ($A223 million) into dazzling displays.
General Motors logged an early win after its Chevrolet brand swept the car and truck of the year awards with the Corvette Stingray sports car and the Chevy Silverado pickup truck.
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"Chevrolet is in the midst of the most aggressive product transformation in the brand's more than 100-year history," Chevy chief Alan Batey said on Monday.
All eyes were on Ford, however, as it unveiled a new F-150 pickup, redesigned with a plethora of new technology and features and a drastically lower body weight to help boost fuel economy.
Replacing steel with aluminum - which helped Ford slash the truck's weight by 317 kilos - is seen as a big risk, because truck buyers are so focused on strength, towing capacity and performance.
The F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in the US for 32 consecutive years and is a critical part of Ford's portfolio.
The number two US automaker insisted that the new model is the "the toughest, smartest and most capable F-150 ever".
Mercedes got a jump on its competitors by hiring Kelly Rowland of Destiny's Child to serenade its sleek and luxurious new C class sedan at an elegant invite-only event at the Westin Hotel on Sunday.
General Motors sought to steal some of Ford's truck thunder by revealing its GMC Canyon, a mid-sized pickup truck, on Sunday at a revitalised industrial complex.
But all eyes were on incoming chief executive officer Mary Barra, the first woman to be tapped to lead a major automaker.
Barra - who was previously in charge of global product development and has been hailed within the industry as a "car guy" - signalled that the accountants will not be allowed to dominate business plans.
"At today's GM, our products are the result of putting the customer at the centre of everything we do. That has fostered a bold new culture at our company, a culture that promotes innovation and encourages risk taking," she said.
After years of painful restructuring and mass layoffs, the Detroit Three automakers are racking in massive profits as major product revamps allowed them to take advantage of resurgent demand.
US auto sales have finally returned to the levels seen in the 14 years prior to the devastating 2008 crash, growing 7.6 per cent to 15.6 million vehicles in 2013. They are forecast to keep growing this year, but at a slower pace.
