The Paris Show of Commercial Vehicles.
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The Second Part of the Salon Proves to have an Immense Advertising Value by Reason of the Extra Attractions Provided in its Aeronautical Section.
The second part of the Paris Salon, which includes commercial vehicles, machine tools, airships, and aeroplanes, was opened on Thursday morning, the 24th instant, by M. Cruppi, the Minister of Commerce, in the presence of the President of the Republic of France, and remained open until yesterday (Wednesday). When the President and his suite arrived, shortly after 9.30 a.m., the weather was all that could be desired; the Avenue Nicolas II and the inside of the Grand Palais presented scenes of great brilliance and activity. The inauguration of the first International Exhibition of Airships and Aeroplanes was, of course, the event of the day. Aviation is the topic of conversation amongst all classes of French society at the present time, and it was surely a happy suggestion that such an exhibition should be combined with that of the heavy section of the motor Industry. The crowds of visitors that were attitirted by the instruments for " navigation aeronautique " could not fail also to notice the many fine examples of oommercial-vehicle construction which were staged by well-known constructors. M. Gustave Rives, the President of the Organisation Com-. :nittee, is to be congratulated on the results of the labours of his department.
The action of the Compagnie Generale des Omnibus de Paris, in continuing to run its antiquated vehicles in the city of Paris is a subject for general condemnation amongst French motor manufacturers, who, in consequence, have paid little attention to double-deck motorbuses during the last twelve months; indeed, there was only one such vehicle in the exhibition, and that a London type of motorbus built by the Aries Company for service in Prague. In strong con trust to the attitude of the " Paris General '' is the latest decision of the Paris Municipal Council, which body has determined to discard all its horse-drawn tire-fighting apparata and to replace them with motor-propelled machines of the latest patterns. The change is to be completed during the next six years, and, already, large orders have been placed with Delahaye, particulars of which are given later lii this report.
Small delivery vans, and single-deck buses for hotel and station use were prominent amongst the vehicles exhibited, and another striking feature was the ingenuity which had been brought to bear on the design of tipping wagons; some of those exhibited were far too costly in construction for them ever to become widely employed. Motorcabs, too, seem still to be attracting much attention on the part of manufacturers, and we arc pleased to record the fact that the comfort of the driver has been considered, by more than one maker, in the fitting of some form of folding hood. The Peugeot cab was, perhaps, the best example in this respect, as the hood fitted on that vehicle extended well forward and afforded ample protection from the weather.
Amongst the vehicles which were to be seen outside the Salon were a steam bus, which had a boiler on the Stolz principle, and had been built by the Societe Anon3.,me des Generateurs Economiques (S.A.G.F..), and the Charron bus that was run during the pleasure-car show by the Galeries Lafayette. The latter vehicle again maintained a frequent service between the Salon and the well-known emporium, and tickets giving the right to travel on the bus were to be obtained at the stands of the Charron and Michelin.