Value Statistics of the Olympia Show.
Page 17
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By H. Hewitt Griffin.
The show which has just concluded at Olympia must really be looked upon as part of the exhibition of November, 1906, if it is to be compared with those of past years, this being the third of the new series held at Olympia. Comparison is, how. ever, difficult, as in the first two shows the commercial section was restricted, whereas in the last it was given full scope, and, with the exception of a few carriages posing as trade broughams, the private passenger vehicle was excluded.
Two-Thirds of the Total British Vehicles.
The general impression amongst visitors was that an overwhelmingly large proportion of the vehicleS exhibited were British, but, although the numbers were greater than in any previous show, England accounted for less than half, and the entire show did not approach the values tentatively placed upon it. Two things told against this. Commercial vehicles, such as motorbuses and large lorries, not only took up far greater space than pleasure cars, hut they were not of the same average value, and, again, the entire building was filled up with pleasure cars at the November show, whereas, at the recent exhibition, only the main hall was used, and even in that there was room for Several more cars, not allowing for the space occupied by machinery and other exhibits. Last November, the main hall held £295,701 worth of pleasure cars, compared with commercial vehicles to the value of £108,970. At this month's show, however, there were only four or five vehicles which were valued at £1,000 and upwards. The show, nevertheless, showed a great advance, and the following figures should he of considerable interest in years to come, as showing the increase in commercial motors in this country.
Under the heading "Country of origin': it is difficult to arrive at an exact figure, owing to the blend of foreign parts. In several cases the foreign country gets the credit of the value of the body, which is British built, but, in a few instances, where only the engine is foreign, England gets the benefit. To insure absolute exactitude would be a well-nigh impossible task ; it would, however, show England in a somewhat more favourable light.
How Scotland Helped.
A Scotchman once said that England was a poor place by itself ; it was only Britain. It did not become Great Britain until Scotland was added! He would have said the same thing at the Commercial Motor Show. It was Scotland's big effort, although many vehicles were shown by London firms, and, in some cases, with London-built bodies, which gave Great Britain 62.216 per cent, of the total, instead of 48.222 per cent.,. for England. Taking the statistical tables which appeared in our sister journal "The Motor" on December 14th, 1906, one other short table is needed, owing to the somewhat different manner in which the present results have had to be compiled.