Is "The Royal" Worth While?
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T' HE optimistic the
subject note which was e subject of our comment at the Royal Show, last year, is even more pronounced and insistent this year, as the following views of exhibitors go far to confirm:
Mr. Frank PerkinS is utilizing the " Royal " as the starting point for a big drive towards increased sales of Perkins engines for marine, industrial and transport use. It is the firk comprehensive display of oil engines of this type, as applied . to these purposes, . Which. has been staged on One stand.
" you should note," said Mr. Perkins, " that we are staging examples of new applications of the oil engine. The agricultural viewpoint has been kept Mainly in our mind, as is exemplified in the use of a Perkins engine in a Fordson tractor, in a self-contained automatic lighting set of a type particularly useful for farmhouses, and in the lorry—a Commer."
Mr. Cyril Bowden Hook, sales executive of Diamond-T Motors, says: "Developing trade indicates a bigger. interest on •the part of the buyer in Diamond-T products and I am quite sure that this will be increased by our
showing at the ' Royal.' Success of the Diamond-T in the hands of operators has led to larger firms taking an interest in it and owners of big fleets are now buying our trucks.
" Furthermore," he continued, " the Royal Show is an opportunity to meet these buyers, especially farmers, millers and others of similar occupation."
Mr. C. H. Ferric was pleased with the
business in connection with. Indiana trucks which had already accrued at about noon on the opening day of the Show. He said:. "I have had a constant stream of inquiries. The vehicle which is attracting most interest is our Luton van, which weighs under 50 cwt., yet has A • capacity of 1,500 cubic ft.I have already this morning sold 10 to One customer."
Mr. Iiar6r Lambert, of Jack Olding, Ltd:: is highly pleased with the: business business is going. " This machine," he said, pointing.to a big. earth-removing appliance,." is selling very well indeed.-Wolverhampton is a particularly suit able centre for its exhibition, as it is right in the heart of a district in which a good deal of earth removing is taking place."
Mr. E. R. Foden regards the " Royal" principally, as an excellent opportunity to meet old friends. "Business is with us very good indeed," he declared. " At the
Royal we always seem to spend most of our time being greeted by satisfied customers and by old friends, Who try to introduce new, ones to us. We have had a very good year; indeed, it is the_ best we have had since we established the E.R.F. business." -• Mr. H. L. Grout, secretary of Reo Motors (Britain), Ltd., is. of opinion that the Royal Show is an excellerit medium for the exhibition of cornrner-' cial vehicles of types in which he is interested. They are having,a good reception among farmers and allied traders, My past experience at the Royal.' has shown,". he reniarked; ",.-that good, business is likely to result and the Reo has now been shown for many years at this exhibition. The 'farmer's interest is now much wider."
Mr. Sydney Smith, of Latil's, is taking the opportunity at this Show to introduce the new, model and to emphasize the fact that his company cars now cater for a Wider field. Already there are signs that increased sales. are likely to result. In his experience, the Latil sells itself and all that is needed is to display it.
Mr. B. S. Redpath, of Morris Commercial, says he regards the Show principally as an excellent publicity medium: " Anyone who appears to imagine thnt • it has merely a local
interest soon 1D6'elisilluSioned," he 7. said. " Already, on' this firSt.day, we 7 have had inquiries' from people whose., places of business are in Norwich and Re therharn. This Show,'' he eon-tinned,"appeals not only to farmers, but also to a number of allied traders, among whom I might mention milk dealers, millers and grain factors. It is also an'
opportunity to meet old friends.'
It is a fact, too," he said, "that we havehad a particularly large percentage of inquiries from milk hauliers.Amongst them was the first man who carried milk by road out of Shropshire, a man :who started in that 'business: because of the trouble that local' farmers were having with the railway companies on account of empty churns. That man started with one vehicle in those not-too-far-off days-, and. now has no•fewer than 18 regularlyemployed" : . Mr. Sidney. Guy: said " I have always shown at the 'Royal.' It is u• good sales medium and is well wOrthr
while, notwithstanding the fact that sorrietimes the exhibits have to go 'rather a long way from headquarters. This year we are particularly fortunate, as the .exhibition is in our home town.
" The agriculturist, too, is now reacting, favourably to the suggestion that he.should invest-more extensively in road transport. He is in an especially good position, because not only is he not restricted, but is actually helped by the Government in certain regulations drafted to apply to the use of road transport by farmers. If I needed' any justifica,tion for continuing to show at. the Royal,' I should be, obtaining
it this -year:" •
Mr.: A. Purves, of the International concern, regards the Show as a particularly good opportunity to impress farmers wIth the .value of road transport. "This year," be said, "I am displaying our new line of trucks to farmers and allied industrialists. The "Royal' is always a good show for us; and we regard it as particularly suit-. ableior exhibiting -commercial Vehicles.
"Naturally, •• our connection' 'with' farmers and irriplement agents enhances its direct value to us, but it is quite wrong to assume that only buyers in this class conic to the Royal.' There are' rnanY others who visit the Show' when it is •witbirt 104) "miles or so of their headquarters," . 'Mr." WilliaM:Foden said: " I have been coming to the 'Royal' far over 50 years, and in that time I have made a tremendous number of friends, whom 1 meet here. • Many of them actually come for that purpose—to chat over old times, going right back to the early days of the traction engine. Now they are taking just as big Uri interest in
these oil-engined machines.• • " ; -.The Show, to ray mind, is worth, while, in order to maintain contact with these old customers. Nowadays," he continued, "the cry seems always to be for vehicles to carry bigger and bigger loads.
"1 have one customer who started sorne years ago with a wheelbarrow: Now he has a large fleet of Fodens and has just purchased one of our latesttype eight-wheelers."
Mr. W. Wallace, of Dodge Bros.,
'remarked: " In lookingaround this Show, what has struck me more than anything is the increasing value for money ,which operators are receiving in. trucks, This,. to ray mind, is mole evident -than. ever before," Mr.Koehret, of-the .Ford Motor Co., Ltd., said: '' We havea better stand this year than we have ever had_ hefore—the outcome of the fact that we•haYe found it worth Whileto pay considerable attention to the Show.
"This is further, confirmed -by the amount of business that we have already done this year. Although it is not yet four o'clock on the first day of the Show, all the vehicles on the stand which are available have been sold."