Like a family facing its first big reunion after a period of anxiety and loss, metro Detroit is wondering how to celebrate the 2006 North American International Auto Show. We\'ve been through tough times before. But this year is different. This is do-or-die time. Is it also time to party down? We\'ll find out tonight. As of Thursday, hundreds of tickets remained available for the typically sold-out black-tie Charity Preview gala, the auto show\'s cochairmen said. What will the mood be as the crowds swarm Cobo Center ? The best possible outcome would be a week that revives metro Detroit \'s confidence -- and the spirit of one of America \'s great industries. During the auto show\'s media preview days, the domestic carmakers showed signs they are ready to do battle, amid the usual visits from stars like \"Desperate Housewives\" actress Eva Longoria. But to really improve the mood, what could really work is the attitude of Winston Churchill, said Jerry Herron, professor of English and American Studies at Wayne State University . Remember how Churchill pledged during World War II that Britain would fight on the beaches and in the streets and never surrender? Well, apply that to GM and Ford fighting on car lots and inside showrooms and promising never to give up the battle for market share. \"This is a global industry we invented,\" said Herron, whose wife works for Ford and whose father managed an Oldsmobile dealership in Texas . \"We should be proud of it. We shouldn\'t disown it.\"