Motor Show Early History
CONCEPTION, RISE AND DEVELOPMENT OF MOTOR SHOWS. [1]
Note: Parts of this article have been moved to the relevant show entries
Almost as an adjunct to the Tunbridge Wells Show came the meeting at Cannon Street Hotel, on December 10th, 1895, whereat motors and motoring were fully discussed in the City of London, and by the reports thereof in the dailies public interest was awakened in the movement.
The year 1896 will never be forgotten on the financial side of the cycle and motor trade. It was early recognised that the motor was to be the centre of attraction, and two shows were organised.
That at the Imperial Institute was under Royal patronage and promoted by the Motorcar Club, which had headquarters at 40, Holborn Viaduct (from which sprang many companies, including more than one million founders, under the Lawson aegis), with Harrington Moore as hon. sec. and F. R. Simms as vice-president. Although this exhibition was not formally opened to the public until May 9th, there were preliminary shows which played an important part in the history of the movement. Great efforts were being made to bring the matter before Parliament, and on February 6th, 1896, a deputation, headed by Sir David Salomons, waited upon the head of the Local Government Board, Mr. Henry Chaplain, who, horse-lover as he was, received them with hearty encouragement.
A few days later, Friday, February 17th, our present King, then H.R.H. Prince of Wales, visited the Imperial Institute, Kensington, and there, for the first time, saw and tested the motorcar. The Hon. Evelyn Ellis not only explained, but gave H.R.H. more than one ride in his Daimler car. During one of these short trips, in demonstrating the ability of the motor to climb a "hill" on some planks raised a few feet, there was nearly a disaster. An upset was avoided by an inch or two only. Had it happened, motoring might have been set back for years.
The next day a large and distinguished company, including members of both Houses of Parliament, visited the Institute, when various motorcars and electricars were put through their paces, and so favourably did they impress the visitors that the passing of the early stages of the Motor Bill was greatly facilitated thereby.
On the same afternoon a Daimler motorcar was tested for speed over a measured course on one of the long galleries by two official timers of the N.C.U., H. Sturmey and H. H. Griffin, the first timed trial in England.
One amusing incident is worth recording. A certain French electricar was shown with the largest pneumatic ever made; the tyres were 14in. in diameter. These excited great attention, and so worried was Mr. Robert Tyrrell, who was in charge, by the "silly" questions that, when a young man from one of the dailies came along and asked "What was in the big tyres?" Tyrrell told him they were packed with wet sand, and that appeared in the "daily" next day! The exhibition was most interesting, and there were numerous exhibits of cars, appliances, engines, etc., and several flying machines. The original "motor horse," made by Gottlieb Daimler (small), in 1886, was included; in fact nearly every make was represented, including motorcycles, tyres, etc.
The Crystal Palace, ever forward in encouraging industrial enterprises, held, contemporaneously, an "International Horse and Horseless Carriage and Roads Locomotion Exhibition." There were, however, very few motor vehicles in the show, but the two exhibitions running for several weeks and the gradual passing of the relief Bill through the Commons kept public interest fully awake on the development of the motor movement.
1898
1899
There was a singular feature in connection with the rival cycle shows. The previous year they ran a dead heat as regards the number of exhibitors, 174, and cycles 1,951. This year (1899) they again dead heated over the number of motorcars (35) and exhibitors thereof (13).
The Paris show was still scattered, as the new Grand Palais, built for the 1900 exhibition, was not ready.
1900
In 1900, despite the official patronage, and owing to the earlier date (April) there was a slight falling off in the Islington Show, but this was entirely in vans, lorries, tractors, etc. In complete cars there was an increase. A curious point in these early shows was the very small number of chassis — here exactly 4 per cent. In modern shows they run from 30 per cent. at Olympia to 50 per cent. in Paris. It is also interesting to note that the Automobile Club then had its headquarters in 4, Whitehall Court, and its total membership on January 1st, 1899, was 380, and on January 9th, 1900, it had 586. It is now about six times as many. This was the only show in 1900, except the cycle, the National suddenly increased to 96 cars from 26 firms, the Stanley 35 from 16.
1901
The first year of the present century (1901) saw a big advance; the home trade was settling down and the foreign very active. Putting the Agricultural Hall Show back to May (4th-11th) was tried, and there was a great increase; the exhibitors of cars more than doubled and the number of cars, chassis, etc., rose to 254, but there were only 10 chassis to nearly 240 complete cars. This show compelled the Stanley to henceforth restrict the number of their car exhibits, so in that respect it is hardly worth considering — only 30!
At the National there was a tremendous slump in cycles to under 700, but about 100 cars were included. For the first time figures were obtained of the Paris Show. A French paper gave the number of cars 464, omnibuses 24, chassis 53, say 12 per cent., and this has always been a characteristic of the French shows. Intending buyers like to see the "internals" of the cars, and the proportion has gone on increasing. Take the last two years, in 1906 to 507 complete cars there were 249 chassis, say 47 per cent.; last year (1907) the figures were — complete cars 503, to 292 chassis, or 58 per cent. In all that year, 1901, there were 556 cars, etc., in the Grand Palais, more than double England's best effort.
1902
The Agricultural Hall Show, moved back to April, was practically the only one in 1902, and there was again a pleasing increase of nearly 330 cars, including 39 chassis. Very imposing was the display. The sad part of it was - that fully three-quarters were imported vehicles.
In December the National Cycle Show had another set-back, nearly all the chief cycle makers withdrawing, and the cars did not make up for the loss.
Second Part [2]
1903
The Stanley Cycle Show mid been successful for so many years — since 1878 — that the executive, misled by the number of applications received for their restricted motor section, resolved on holding a complete motor show of their own. The number of buildings suitable in London for such a display is very limited, and unwisely Earl's Court was selected. The erections there are for summer use, with all too ample ventilation. To make matters worse a cold snap set in, ice covered the lakes, snow was thick on the ground, and the temperature of the luncheon room, at the opening ceremony on January 16th, 1903, was below freezing, and yet Sir A. K. Rollit spoke for over 37 minutes, to the accompaniment of chattering teeth and the novel spectacle of men in top coats and hats at a public function. The show was a complete failure, there were only 91 complete cars, or 107 in all. Ever since then the Stanley have wisely stuck to the cycle.
On the other hand a show held immediately afterwards, January 30th to February 7th, at the Crystal Palace, was a triumphant success, and all British show records were beaten with the grand display of over 530 cars; of these about 440 were complete and 68 chassis. It was also remarkable for the number of chassis (68) and propeller-shaft driven cars, electricars and steamers. Indeed, the whole exhibition was a revelation of the extent of the motor industry at home and abroad and did much to advance the whole cause of motoring.
That year – 1903 — the Agricultural Hall Show (March 21st-28th) reached its zenith of prosperity, 443 motors being shown, of these some 13 per cent. were chassis, no fewer than 356 complete cars. The whole of the floor space was occupied, as well as the minor hall. It was the finest show of the kind ever held, or likely to be held, under that roof. A feature wee the number of steamers, 49 in all, but more than half of these were lorries or tractors.
The National Cycle Show made its last appearance in November. Deserted by the trade, there were only 258 pedal and 224 motor-bicycles, 23 tricycles — out of the total, 525, nearly half (247) were motor-driven. Its chief attraction was the 91 motorcars shown by 21 firms, and so the National dropped out for good.
1904
The first motor show receiving the official and general support of the trade, under the aegis of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, was held at the Crystal Palace, September 12th to 27th, 1904, and scored a triumphant success. The grand total of all motors (excluding cycles), 577, has only been since eclipsed by the Paris shows of 1904-5-6-7. The Olympia Show of two years ago got within one of its total. The number of complete cars was only one behind the much larger total at Paris. The great increase in live-axle cars was notable, chains 56 per cent., shaft 40 per cent.
In the catalogue the next show was announced to be held February 10th to 22nd, 1905, under the same management, but during the year the Society captured Olympia and left Manager Baily stranded with the original date.
At the Agricultural Hall Show, although the boom of the previous year was not approached, there was a goodly show of over 380 cars, and it was memorable for the fact that for the first time the shaft drive exceeded the chain, but the decline then commenced has continued ever since, and now has shrunk to little more than half its size of five years ago.
1905
The year 1905 marked a new era in British motor shows. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, Ltd., secured for a number of years the splendid building, Olympia, in Hammersmith, which, despite its splendid position, just outside Addison Road Station, Kensington, and in direct touch with the railway systems of the country, never fulfilled its original mission, and since the Barnum-Kiralfy days had been little more than an immense derelict barn. One great item of expense was to remove the heavy fireproof concrete curtain and the other fittings in the building. The extension and Annexe were also re-built. In consequence of these and succeeding improvements the building is now in good demand, for various exhibitions. Great interest was evinced in the opening of that year's show, especially after the fiasco at the Crystal Palace, January 27th to February 4th, when there were less than seven score cars all told and less than 100 exhibitors.
It was confidently expected that all records would be broken, but the total number of cars just failed to reach 500. For the first time in a British show there were over 100 chassis. At the opening lunch the chairman declared: "The motorcars in this building are worth £700,000."
A census of cost on behalf of "THE MOTOR," car to car throughout, revealed the fact that £298,813 was the value, or an average of £599 per vehicle exhibited.
The Agricultural Hall display (March 18th to 25th) again showed a big falling off, only just over 300 exhibits, of which one-third were chassis. It was remarkable, however, for the fact that shaft drive again exceeded chains, and by a wide margin, 11 per cent.
It was found that the early spring not only was unsuitable, but it was thought advisable that the show should proceed the Paris Salon so by a bold stroke Olympia forestalled Paris and made two shows in one year by taking the dates November 17th-25th and December 8th-25th at Paris. It rather riled our French friends of the-trade, who had thus to either show their hand in England before France, or practically stand out of British trade. There was a marked falling off in the number and value (£80,702) of French cars, but the total value at Olympia rose to £302,203, as per "THE MOTOR" census, and the average car value (there were three fewer cars in the show) to £609 . The figures of the chassis were singularly close throughout.
Paris still further increased to almost 700 cars, nearly 200 more than Olympia, the strange feature being that chains repassed shafts. Chassis were about half complete cars — in numbers over 200 - for the first time. The number of permanently-covered cars was also notable, and there was a large increase on the commercial side.
The Crystal Palace show made one more flutter and managed to get about six score cars and a large number of second-hand vehicles on sale.
At Islington there was another drop to below 300, with again a preponderance of foreign-built cars; it was interesting by reason of its variety.
1906
Olympia again pre-dated Paris, November 14th-24th, 1906, and was the biggest show yet held by the Society, only one short of the Crystal Palace total of 1,004. A different result was anticipated as the show was split up into two sections - commercial and trade vans — together with omnibuses and motor boats, were cut out to be exhibited early in 1907. This gave much more room in Olympia, but although full up everywhere there was only room for 80 more cars than the previous year. Analysed, there were more complete large cars than at the next month's show in Paris, the latter having considerably more voiturettes (the small car section of the trade is sadly neglected in the English shows) and racers. Chassis increased at Olympia, and the total value reached top notch, £393,663, or an average of £683, a very high figure that speaks of high quality.
Over in Paris all records were again cut, the total rising to 828, but these included over 100 trade vans and omnibuses, besides many chassis belonging to the same, and almost 250 chassis.
1907
Last year is so recent that it need hardly be referred to. The trade section of Olympia, March 7th-16th, was value £108,075, or with motor, boats £119,256.
The Islington Show was still less patronised, and even Olympia failed by nearly a score, to reach its 1906 total, and the value fell to £348,605, the Show being again exclusively confined to pleasure ears. The average value came out at £672. Of the former total British cars, etc., represented £185,688; France, £94,432.
Of the coming Show there are great hopes that it will eclipse all others, but that will be a story for “THE MOTOR" to tell its readers next week.