What the Industry Thinks.
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Excerpts from Opinions Concerning the Effects of Olympia.
Allchirs.
" We are very much pleased to record that it was an exceedingly good and fine exhibition. We were glad to embrace the opportunity of showing there, and from a business point of view we did very well indeed. The exhibition differed materially from most exhibitions, in that it seemed to be patronized mainly by business people."
Mr. Herbert Austin.
"I have heard from our staff, and in other directions, that in point of orders and direct business done, the Show was a distinct disappointment. I think the date of the exhibition a little unfortunate; earlier in the year would be much better for everyone. The display generally was excellent, but I noticed on sonic exhibits a lot of careless and disproportionate designing.
One point which particularly struck me was the exhibition of standard pleasure-vehicle chassis on some stands. This is extremely unfair, and should not have been allowed by the Society. The fact that the placing of a van body on them might make them serviceable as a commercial vehicle shmild not have been sufficient reason for their being shown bare. On a future occasion, I think the supervision of the matter should be much more severe, or the signing of the Bond by the pleasure-vehicle builders will become a farce.
"Surely, the exhibits slowed away in corners, and under the galleries, would have been much better placed in the annexe? The cost would have been slightly more, but that need not have worried the Society."
Argyll.
"W5 have pleasure in reporting good business. We have not taken an enormous amount of actual orders, although there were a good few, but we have a great number of reallygood inquiries, especially from people who have not yet been users of commercial vehicles.
"
We have had good inquiries for taxicabs for London, especially from the more respectable class of owner-drivers. These, of course, are required on the hire-purchase system. We ourselves raise a difficulty here, by demanding first-class security, without which we refuse to entertain the prospective b usiness."
Bayard.
" The public is undoubtedly deeply interested, and the general impression is that, sooner or later, everyone who has goods to carry must make use of mechanical transport. So far as we are concerned, the exhibition was a great success. Our experience has taught us that the agent is the ideal distributor for the commercial-vehicle manufacturer, and it is to the user's advantage to have a local expert able and ready to advise him on all points."
Belsize.
" We are quite satisfied with the hnsiness done; in fact, it has entirely exceeded our expectations. We are also very optimistic with regard to the future possibilities which the Show has undoubtedly brought about. The great difficulty to this country and firms in general, in connection with the heavy-motor trade, has been the opportunity of creating so important a Show first of all. It will now be extremely advantageous to everybody and ensure this country's supremacy for a further time to come."
Benz.
"It is the first time that we hare shown the Benz commercial chassis: we have been much surprised at the amount of
inquiries, both from this country and the Colonies. The majority of visitors to our stand was not mere sightseers, but buyers—if not immediately, in the near future. Inquirers now realize the fact that commercial vehicles must have chassis specially and strongly built."
Brasier.
" The Show was quite successful from a bnsiness point of view, but we think it was not advertised sufficiently. We have seen many people who were entirely unaware that there was such a show going on. We, however, have reeeivsd great number of bona-fide inquiries, and have actually effected a few sales, although this is the first year that we are pushing our commercial vehicles in Great Britain."
Brown Bros.
" We did not ourselves do a large amount of business at the Show, but we feel quite content with the number of inquiries which we received. We are satisfied that the trade which will be gathered from the Show will more than repay
us for the trouble and expense in connection with it. We were pleased with the attendance."
Charron.
" The results exceeded our expectations, and we booked orders freely. The demand for light delivery yams, and that from hotel proprietors for buses or landaulets, was most noticeable in our case."
Clayton and Shuttleworth.
" The visitors at our stand were intent on serious business, and we obtained a large number of very promising inquiries. We think it should be possible to convert these into orders, and we are satisfied that the Show was a very useful one to manufacturers."
Commerea.rs (Mr. H. C. B. Underdown).
"The Show must have proved to anyone visiting it that the industrial motor vehicle as such has now become one of the necessities cf modern business life. Perhaps the most satisfactory feature of the exhibition was the proof it afforded that, at any rate as regards this branch of the motor industry, Great Britain has been, and is still easily the world's leader.
" The date of the exhibition, about which some doubts have been expressed, seems to me to have fully justified itself, awl the interest displayed by the general public and by visitors from overseas was an ample reward for the trouble and expense.
"As to whether commercial-vehicle exhibitions in the future are necessary, I have some difficulty in believing they are, and in any case last week's exhibition should suffice for a considerable time to come."
Girling.
" We are in every way satisfied with the results, although the attendance was smaller than at the pleasure-car exhibitions. The people who attended were there for business. We think that the time has now arrived when an exhibition devoted exclusively to commercial-motor vehicles should be an annual event.
" The bulk of inquiries that were dealt with were naturally from representatives of all trades doing business in Great Britain, but we could not but feel impressed by the keen interest evinced by visitors from Overseas."
Halley.
" We have every cause to be satisfied with the results of the Show, both as regards immediate and prospective business. In our opinion, the Show will prove to have been of great benefit to the Whole of the British commercial-motor trade. We think, however, that any future shows of this nature should be held at a considerably earlier date in the year— say, in March or April."
Hillman.
"Although we ourselves have no cause to complain about the amount of business we did, yet we think that it would be a better show, and conducive to more prosperous trade, if it were held in the early spring. In the middle of summer, agents are as a rule too busy to leave their businesses to jotnncy to London."
ALAI. D.A.
" We were highly gratified with the results attained at the exhibition. If other members of the trade who were exhibiting received the same share of inquiries, Olympia will not be large enough to hold the exhibits next year."
Mandalay.
" We are more than satisfied with the results. Any two days out of the week ended the 26th July would have justified our attendance." hotlinesDaimler-Mercedes.
" Although the actual orders placed at the Show were not large, some extremely-good and many other inquiries were received. These will lead to orders in the near future. Further, we are of the opinion that an annual commercialvehicle show would do much to popularize motor transport in this country."
Napier.
"We are very well satisfied with the results we obtained. The people who attended were of the really-interested class, and this gave exhibitors a much better opportunity of doing business. We were successful in obtaining quite a good number of orders, and the inquiries we have on hand, received during the Show, are most promising. Altogether, we are very well satisfied with the exhibition from a business point of view."
PurreyExshaw.
"We formed a very favourable opinion of the Show. Although there was not a great number of the public there, we found the people who visited our stand to be intent on business. We shall be greatly surprised if we do not reap considerable benefit from having exhibited. "We think the supply of electric current to the stands should be available before five o'clock in the evening. This was a great drawback to exhibitors who wished to illuminate internal parts of their exhibits."
Scout.
"Although only a small number of orders were booked at the Show, yet. the inquiries were of such a nature as will lead to numbers of orders at a future date. The number of Colonial inquiries received at the Show was very great indeed, but, of course, nothing like so numerous as the Home inquiries. We found that a very large number of firma are seriously thinking of taking up motor transport, and turning down their horsedraa‘n vehicles."
Stevens.
"The Show has been an unqualified success, and we are looking forward to greatly-increased business following the large number of inquiries received. The general arrangements for the Show have been well carried out."
Stoneleigh (Mr. J. D. Siddeley),
"The Show can be written down in my opinion as a success. and as showing the present high state of development in this branch of the movement. At the same time. I do not think that the Society will he warranted in holding a similar exhibition annually."
Straker-Squire.
"There can be no question that this exhibition has proved a great success; the keenest interest in the industrial motor is evident from all sides. Colonial inquiries were quite numer• ous, but, of course, the general adoption—or even the trial— of motor vehicles in the bulk of our Colonies and Dependencies is in its infancy. Home inquiries were of a genuine nature, and much more numerous, but a good proportionof the total inquiries emanated from the Colonies. The introduction of the Imperial Motor Transport Conference proved most successful."
Tasker.
"The recent Show fully justified itself. There was evi dently need for such a show, and, although large crowds did not come, there was undoubtedly a large number of prospective buyers. We are satisfied that the Show will give a great impetus to the commercial-motor industry."
Thornycroft.
"The definite business we have done at the exhibition has been very much more satisfactory than at the last exhibition (1908). We have also received a very large number of reallyexcellent inquiries, many of which we are hoping to convert into definite orders in the near future."
Walker (Pagefield).
"We consider the recent Show to mark a distinct advance in the industry, and we have every reason to be satisfied with the result of our participation."
Yorkshire.
"We are pleased to say that from a business point of view the results have been in excess of our anticipations." 0