New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-29
FOREIGN AUTO SHOW
TO OPEN ON THURSDAY
importers Start 1918 Season
with Salon in Ballroom of
Hotel AStor.
MANY NOVELTIES ASSURED
European and American Body
Builders Will Furnish Prin-
cipal Rivalry-Few Me
chanical Changes.

In scores " finely finished cars. repre-
ser,ing the last word OF European con-
.,r,ctors and body builders, will be re-
acted the white and gold decorations Of
the grand ballroom Of the Hotel Astor
r4vt Thursday afternoon, with the open
MO of the Importers Salon. The Salon
.s % omen at o'clock on Thursday and
,,iu continue until the night of January
II II will clearly mark the survival or
the fttest among foreign cars in this
country. for the number of makes of cars
,hov,n will be smaller than ever before.
Jb4re will be missing two or three kinds
hat are still in active competition in
this market notably the Benz. Other
wise the salon display takes in all the
makes that have come through the fierce
fight for American favor. and that arc
likely 10 last against the growing prefer
.snce Of American owners for machines of
domestic manufacture.
That the Importers Salon viii place
American motorists closely in touch with
the latest developments of the industry
abroad may be- judged from the fact that
many of the cars TO be shown are still
on the ocean on their way to New YORK
While many of the exhibitors are having
chassis fitted with bodies by American
builders Of the class of Quinby. Holbrook
90 ~ high TCnO-
tatlon. there will De 10 lack OF hoNeltieS
from the houses Of Nelluer, Van den FIas
and others of similarly high repu'e
abroad Probably half the cars at the
salon will be identical machines that
have been viewed by English enthusiasts
Al the olympia show and by French auto
roobilists M the more recent exhibition
I'm Paris These are the cars now on the
way here. for the French show closed
only last Sunday night.
America is no longer following Europe
I'm the DEVELOPMENT of worthy ideas in
chassis and body building. The Salon.
however. is certain to introduce features
that are entirely new, just as the SHOWS
10 follow at Madison Square Garden ana
Grand Central Palace will bring to pub
lie view ideas that have been developing
i'm the last few months. Not only VIII
the Hotel Astor display attract the most
discriminating motorists but II VIII bring
from their factories scores of the clever
est American engineers and designers for
exhaustive study Of what the foreigners
have to offer. OF late years 1t has be-
come a case of give and take among the
leaders on both sides Of the Atlantic. for
all are ready 20 recognize and adopt inno-
vations that have merit.
As mechanical features have become
to a certain degree standardized, 1t Is
expected that the most interesting side OF
the Salon Of 1913 will be the rivalry be-
tween foreign and American body build
ers. Last years display served ia show
that the home constructors were fast
developing the originality Of their more
experienced rivals, and ii is predicted
that at the coming exhibition some OF the
American built bodies Will attract as
much attention as those from abroad Al
least two entirely new types of bodies
will be introduced at the Salon. These
are a four seated limousine Of the en-
popular abroad, and a two passenger
landaulette, which can be readily con-
verted into a runabout by folding down
the sides and top. The former is entirely
Enclosed and there Is no division between
he front and rear seats.
Some Of the bodies are fitted with four
arm chairs for seats and are just the
hing when the owner does his own driv-
Ing Some of the new two passenger
andaulettes have third seat for the
chauffeur, which. however, cannot be in
closed. This third seat is on a level with
he front seat so that the chauffeur does
not sit above the passenger and driver
is in the old types Of three seated run
sbOuts.
European body fashions for the coming
year decree the six seated car for limou-
sines, landaulettes and touring models.
BY making the rear seat no wider than
The others this makes an absolutely
straight line body possible, and the ten
dency toward straight lines has been
more pronounced each year. This has