'Out of bounds' exhibits
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I visited the Commercial Motor Show on September 26, the last day that it was open to the public. The majority of the visitors at the Show that day were either enthusiasts, drivers, or a combination of both, the latter classification including myself.
I doubt if many exhibitors expected to complete many sales transactions that day: in fact the majority of the various company representatives seemed completely bored by the whole Show and at 4.30 p.m. were mainly preoccupied with packing their belongings and preparing to go home.
I do not deny that to them it must have been a tiring week, but to the many visitors who went to the Show that day it must have been a disappointing trip. With perhaps three notable exceptions the exhibits were practically out of bounds and questions regarding technical specification were usually met with an irate stare and an unintelligible, unhelpful answer.
I was not then, and probably never will be, in a position to buy a commercial vehicle, but in the course of my job I do drive them and I feel sure that with a better knowledge of the vehicles concerned and with a greater aware
ness of the industry itself it is not only I whc will benefit. In the long term, in a small way the manufacturer also gains a small advantage After all, what better unpaid commercia vehicle salesman is there other than a drive who knows what he is talking about?
As for the enthusiasts themselves, especiall. the younger ones, the general attitude seemel to be—pretend they are not here. Wet they were there, Mr Exhibitor, and no clout) some of them were the transport men of to morrow. They will continue to look at, sit ir and find out about the latest vehicles at thi Commercial Motor Shows of the future but I warn you, continual discouragement from thi makers will finally drive them away al together, making transport the ultimate loser D. A. SPAIN Sittingbourne, Kern