New-York tribune., 1911-01-08
FIRST SHOW A SCREAM
Colonel Pope Describes Initial
Auto Exhibition.
GASOLINE CARS WERE FEW
Formed Hopeless Minority
Among the Steam and
Electric Vehicles.
By COLONEL GEORGE POPE.
Chairman show committee Association VI
Licensed Automobile Manufacturers

II is far CRY from the crude, shapeless,
intolerably noisy, balky, almost useless
mass Of complicated machinery on wheeis
in other words, the automobile of dec
ado and a half ago--to the more luxurious,
efficient, powerful and speedy motor car
OF to-day. This is an age OF rapid progress
and people are becoming accustomed 10
wonderful development in phenomenally
short periods Of time. but perhaps the most
remarkable example Of rapid development
&c exemplifed in the automobile. In no
manner can this development be observed
as readily as through the automobile shows
held in this country.
Although the automobile show period he
gan as far back as 1898, the first real au-
tomobile show did not take place until two
years later. A few automobiles were shown
in tile same exhibitions with bicycles hotn
In New York and Chicago shows, in 1873
and 1899. The first real show was held in
Madison Square Garden during the week of
November 3, 1900
AT this first show there were thirty-one
exhibitors Of complete motor cars and
twenty concerns showing parts and acces-
sories. but there were not sufficient num-
Der 10 fill the large area of floor space IN
Madison Square Garden, and so fat oval
track for showing the. cars In motion was
built i'm the Garden, and on the roof was
erected an incline designed 10 show the
hill climbing capabilities of the machines
Persons who wished 10 cross from the in
closure TO the booths on the outside Of the
track were transported over a bridge span
ming the track
II lis rather amusing at this day to con
template the exhibits that marked the first
automobile show in 1900 Steam propelled
vehicles were easily in uedominance, with
n goCdly number Of electrics, while gaso-
lene machines showed a had third, in strik-
ing cgntradistinction 10 the order of to-day.
There are a number of concerns-big
powers in the automobile industry of the
present time-which were represented at
the first automobile show. For instance
the Winton Motor Carriage Company eX-
hibited a two-passenger phaeton that had
made an excellent run between Cleveland
and New York-a wonderful achievement
eleven years ago-and there also was
shown the famous Winton racing car and
81 delivery wagon. All these were driven
bv single cylinder gasolene engines.
A single cylinder Packard car and
three-wheeled contrivance were also in
cluded in the gasolene division, the latter
being shown by the Knox Automobile
Company. One real racy car was two
passenger motorette constructed by the
Peerless Manufacturing Company; 1t had
an imported De Dion motor. There was
also a surrey, displayed by French
Brothers. which attracted considerable at
tention because II had come down over
the roads from Boston.
Messrs. Haynes and Apperson were then
associated. and their vehicles were OBJ
served with much interest and curiosity.
The only three-cylinder engine was mount
ed in a car shown by the now defunct
American Bicycle Company. Easily one Of
the leaders was the Locornobile-but at
that time a steam vehicle-and no less than
ten different moGels were on exhibition
The most important factor in the electri-
cal field was the Riker Motor Vehicle Com
pany, which long since has been taken
over by the Electric Vehicle Company.
The Woods Motor Vehicle Company, of
Chicago, also was represented strongly, as
well as the Baker Motor Vehicle Com
pany. which had furnished the sensa-
ton of the show by producing 5OO-pound
electric runabout equipped with battery
weighing only 1sO pounds. There also were
a number Of motor-bicydes and three
wheeled machines, but. all told, there was
considerable space TO spare.
Despite the fact that it was the first
show, the exhibition was financially sue
cessful. Motor cars were very much OF
a novelty at that time, and people focked
TO the Garden in 1900 the same as they do
to-day. The cost Of putting on the first
show was 1000, which did not include the
cost of decorations, which were paid for
by the exhibiting concerns. AS each COM
pany could arrange Its booth as desired, 1t
goes without saying that there was no
uniformity In signs and decorations.