The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-13
CHICAGO SHOW
PLEASED TRADE
MINNEAPOLIS DEALERS IN AUTO
MOBILES sTRAGGLING HOME.
Great Display Proved Confusing to
Some of the Intending Buyers-In-
terest Shown in the Racing Game for
This Year High-Po Cars to Be
Seen in Minneapolis.

VA1HntdpOllS dutoluoDl4o utdltIS dIo
struggling home from the Chicago show.
They began arriving last night and some
are yet to come, belated trains break
ing into the schedules Of the railroads.
! Those who have returned unite in de-.
claring that it was the greatest show
ever seen given in the west and say
that it is going to prove Of great bene-
fit to the trade when the spring buying
starts up in strength.
cit was a great show" said Warren
T. Walker of the Winston and Walker
Madison Square Garden, New York, and
the Chicago show was just as good for
the agents, if not better. At New York
the manufacturers and agents got to-
Igether. At Chicago the dealers and
the chuffers talked it out. I think that
more Of the big cars were sold at
the New York show but Chicago led
in the smaller cars and individual sales.
Minneapolis, st. Paul and northwestern
enthusiasts were down in force, three
times as strong as last year.
"The show was confusing to intend
ing buyers. There was too much for
them to see and too many machines
to look over. There was another
feature which kept many from buying.
At present it is possible to buy parts
and assemble complete cars. A num-
Der Of exhibits were those of dealers
who have no factory, or, l might say,
home. They are mushroom assemblers.
These exhibits each showed five or six
beautiful cars and put the intending
buyers to guessing. These fy-by-night
fellows intend to get orders and deposits
and then go to their home bankers and
borrow enough money to make up their
machines. Perhaps the buyers will get
them and perhaps not. Anyway, the
~. obi IN
the large number of cars shown by es-
tablished and well-known makers, had a
tendency to cause the intending buyer
to pause These people will buy all
right of their home dealers but they,
| after getting to the show, wanted time
to think it over.
= Auto Racing Prospects.
"There will be automobile racing in
and Pope Toledo people are building big
machines for the Gordon-Bennett inter
national cup race. If our big tourney
is held in August or September we will
get this big ninety, horsepower Locomo:
Bile out here-if it don It get smashed
up before. A lot Of the fellows are buy
ing big, high-speed cars and are home
! with blood in their eye. Every dealer
: will, believe, have car about his
| shop that can 20 like sin and l look fol
! some hot racing before snow flies next
fall.'
"Greatest show ever held,' declared
, Harry Pence of the Pence Automobile
company. "There was lots of business
: and the looking and educational work
, of the show is yet to bear. fruit. There
-. was more business at Chicago than. al
: New York from the retail standpoint
It seemed as tho all Of Minneapolis was
! | Il "o hoH oi at thf
, show and they were busy all Of the
! time showing cars to twin city anc
: northwestern visitors. There was some
3 talk of Minneapolis show, but it i!
? too late in the season. Next year
/ think Minneapolis will have show an(
: ing at Chicago and 7 believe this will
/ come around in good shape this sea
, son. We will have the usual hill-climb
ing contest and track work. There are
| lot Of high-power and high-priced
, cars coming to Minneapolis this year
j and the trade will help out on the rae
ing program.
Northwest Is Interested.
"The northwest is thoroly awake as
; to automobiles. 1 have foot Of mail
. on my desk this morning and it looks
like banner season for sales, and the
} sport side of the game. There may be
; some trouble in getting cars as some
makers are already sold out entirely,
while others are asking a 10 per cent
premium on machines.
"The best show ever held in Chi
cago,' is the opinion Of Harvey S.
Haynes of the Haynes Auto company
"We sold cars, but I think most Of the
I crowd was looking over with an eye
to buying later,'' said he. "People
were getting posted on the merits of
the different motors and the trade will
get the benefit later. The people took
: intense interest in the mechanism of
= the machines. In the forenoons the
trade was most in evidence, but in the
afternoons and evenings the big hall
was crowded with people. -."
I asked one manufacturer if he did not
think this would mark the high-wate1
mark in the trade and he replied that
that was three years away, at least
1T looks as tho automobiling is just in
Tits infancy This manufacturer is we'll
) posted man and does not think that the
) sport and utility feature of the automo.
3 bile will reach it's top. wave of popu.
i larity for three years.
II HIt was a fine show,' said EVick ,:
r Etromquist Of the Barclay Automobile
company. I saw great many Mime
apolis people, but most of them were
getting posted for later buying. They
seemed to prefer to look over all the ex
: hibits and then place their orders with
their home Dealers"