Out and Horne.
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An Engineer Agent. — By "The Extractor." Expelled from Olympia.
It is thought by many that the Earl of Shrewsbury's connection with the motor business is of the slightest character. This is far from being the case. He possesses all the attributes of the shrewd business man, and, moreover, puts in some long, toilsome days. I had an evidence of this on Friday last. I wanted very much to see the Challiners at Ardwick Green, but from morn to noon . . . from noon to dewy eve " he was busying himself with meetings and conferences at the Shrewsbury and Challiner tire headquarters. I had perforce to leave it at that. During the pleasure-car Show at Olympia he took more than a passing interest in the Talbot stand, and, at the instigation of Mr. Frank Shorland, honoured us with a visit to our Elizabethan cottage.
When in Manchester last week, I was hailed by Mr. 0. Coppinger, the local representative of the Peter Union Tyre Co., Ltd. I had him in mind because he comes out resplendently in the photograph of the agents' section dinner which was reproduced on this page in last week's issue. He seems to keep himself in the Manchester limelight, too. He promptly introduced me to some extensive tire users of the district, and it was heartening to hear how closely TIIE COMMERCIAL _MOTOR is scanned. We fell a-talking about the numberless steam wagons used in the district, and the necessity for their being rubber-shod through the worst winter months. The question of the heavy extra cost naturally came in, and then it was that the alert Coppinger opened out a scheme he had devised to meet the case. Instead of the ordinary 6-in, tire, his company is prepared to make a 2 in., which will last approximately for the three winter months, and can be obtained at a proportionate price. As I write this, the snow is already falling.
Still another tire tabloid. The news reaches me that Mr.S. Bishop, so long connected with the Polack concern, has now joined a former colleague, Mr. L. Fenner, the manager of the Commercial Tyre Co., Ltd. I gather that he, Mr. Bishop, takes charge of a newly-formed solid-tire department. These two gentlemen were associated together in the service of the Vanguard Motor Bus Co. in the early days. Mr. Bishop had charge of the department controlling, amongst other things, the accounts and records of tires. So a wealth of knowledge was accumulated which has been considerably augmented since. Both have many friends in the motor business, and I wish them every success in this new development.
Following on our comments in, re (as the lawyers say) "the agents' question," it is quite interesting to note that an important agency has just been completed to cover Lancashire and district. S. and E. Hall, Ltd., maker of the Hallford vehicles, has just completed arrangements for its representation by Mr. Max It. Lawrence, of 76, Deansgate, Manchester. This gentleman, who is the late works manager of the Wolseley Co., has recently acquired the business. of that concern in Manchester, having taken over its depot at the abovenamed address and also its repair works in Atkinson Street. It is noteworthy that a man of Mr. Lawrence's experience, who has, by the way, been works manager of important automobile factories, including the Lanchester and the Wolseley, both at Crayford and at Adderley Park, for about 13 years, should have chosen the Ffallford as his sole line of commercial-motor vehicles. The repair works mentioned will be a source of comfort to buyers, although I hear of several two-year-old Hallfords which have never been in dock yet. Anyhow, a full range of Hallford spare parts and an adequate repairing shop in central Manchester are undeniable assets. Many people noticed in our last issue that an Alldays and Onions small motorvan was illustrated as being shown on that maker's stand at Olympia, but when the Motorcycle Show actually opened the van had disappeared into what Hans Breitmann called the " Ewigkeit." As a matter of fact the Authorities (large "A," please) decreed that this was too much of a " commercial " proposition, and it was promptly tired, to the great disappointment of the manufacturers. The same fate happened to a Girling van, except that it never got so far as the stand. So evidently the line at the Motorcycle Show was drawn at anything in the shape of a van, however much in miniature. These parcelcare will multiply so quickly that, before long, their proper place will be at the business-vehicle exhibitions only, that is plain. The advance of the cyclecar, shown so clearly at the recent Show, points, in my own personal opinion, to wonderful developments in the parcelcar direction. We shall see it at the business Show next July. There is a gigantic trade waiting for it, but, as we have iterated time and time again, there is much spade-work to be done amongst the small traders for this class of vehicle, and interested people had better start "right now."