What of the Show?
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Presumably the Emphasis Will be on Export illadels, but Others Should be Staged
THERE is as yet no decision to hold a Commercial Motor Show next year, but this matter will be settled towards the end of this month, and there is every indication that the result will be favourable.
There is, of course, a number of potential exhibitors who might prefer the matter to be postponed for at least another ,year, but, in our opinion, it is essential for the prestige,, not. only of the industry, but of the country, that such an exhibition should be staged at as early a date as is reasonably possible.
We quite appreciate the difficulties, particularly as they concern producers who were wholly or largely engaged upon war work and since then have had to concentrate upon the production of models little changed from those of pre-war days; time and other considerations preventing ,the development of entirely new types. They probably think that the Show should be devoted solely to models in the export field. Whilst they may be right in this view, we are sure that others who have produced new vehicles would be disappointed if there were to be any serious restrictive measure of this nature. .
After all, it is extremely difficult for anyone in Britain to form a_definite conception as to what foreign buyers might like, and it may well be that vehicles normally designed for the home market might make such an appeal to them as to Open other lines to the overseas markets. Would-be purchasers in Britain would also feel somewhat neglected if all the emphasis were to be laid upon meeting the needs of export.
Shows Which Bring Prestige We are almost certain that France, Switzerland and other countries, where international motor shows have been staged, have benefited accordingly, not only by the great influx of visitors from abroad, but also by the inculcation of the idea that the countries and the particular industry concerned are making every effort towards progress and a return to more normal conditions.
Here, such a show would be staged, not so much with the idea of indicating to home operators what they can buy, as what it is hoped that they will be able to purchase later. From the visitors' angle, it would not be the same, for any buyer *from abroad should be able to obtain reasonably early delivery of most of the types actually in production for overseas. If new models in this category be shown there may be longer intervals between orders and deliveries, unless their construction has been planned long before.
Whilst we in this country have to face up to conditions of transport stringency, we must indicate to other countries that this is a voluntary matter, solely to improve our overseas trade, and that it is not a question of being down and out A well-staged exhibition can do a great deal in this direction.. It can go at least half-way towards proving that our manufacturers are still capable of turning out the finest commercial-vehicle products in the world, and these at prices fully competitive with vehicles constructed abroad.
Quality Must Be Maintained For this reason, too, there must be no reduction in quality. It would be better to produce a smaller number of high-class machines than to endeavour to flood the overseas markets with products of the " cheap and nasty " class. We do not imply that because a vehicle is reasonably cheap it must be inferior. Much depends upon methods of produetion, the skill and capacity of the workers and the equipment employed. As regards materials and their quality, welnade some observations concerning these in a leading article which appeared in our issue for last week.
There have been suggestions that the Show should be held much earlier in the year, the chief idea in this being probably that visitors from abroad would prefer to come to Britain while there are reasonably good prospects of fine weather, for it is not always that we have such a long spell of warmth and sun, stretching into the autumn months, as has happened this year.
However, other counsels seem to have prevailed, and with the exception that the Commercial Vehicle Show is likely to take place before that for cars, the date will probably be little advanced Possibly most of the exhibitors prefer it this way_ or it may be a matter of booking accommodation.