The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-01-04

Many New Types Of Foreign Cars
Seen at Salon Show in New York

NEW YORK, Jan. 3.--The Import
ers' Automobile Salon In the ball
room Of the Hotel Aston. is remark
able, ~ might be expected. chiefly
for the elaboration Of bodies dis
played on most OF the foreign chaases.
These bodies In many cases are inn
ported, and although extremely pretty
and in most cases fitted up with inlAid
woods to an extent beyond the limits
OF American practice. are not. 1t may
here. Foreign bodies, mad to stand
-fe&s strain abroad because Of better
average roads and constructed in
wsv adapted to other climates, are
not for this country. Such exhibi-
tors yesterday who displayed Amer
lean built bodies on the imported
chasses seemed to those who look be-
vond externals to be showing at the
same time q better business sense.
Coming into the hotel from Broad
way there IL to be seen on one side
Of the main doorway an EIGHT cylinder
De Dion chassis and on the other a
four cylinder Renault. Further aIonx
at the chief entrance to the ballroom
is q red painted racing Fiat bearing
the number -. which was that on the
ninety horsepower car David Bruce
Brown drove to victory at Savannah
in the Grand Prise. At another an
trance to the ballroom II . white
Bens, No. 50. which was second at
Savannah.
inside the elaborate ballroom the
1rst impression ia one Of the softness
and luxury Of the exhibit Although
II 10 every bit ~ commercial ~ any
other automobile show. the surround
ings make 1t seem rather lees busi-
nesslike.
Old.Fsss,ioned Coach.
The freak things attract attention
at once One of them 10 sort OF
coach on q sixty horsepower Metal.
lurxiuue chassis built to the order Of
Charles Thorley The coach body IL
designed to seat just two persons. In
side In tho elaborateness OF fittings
all the usual accessories to comfort
and to toilet are concealed in little
drawers over which the tops roll
down. giving them the Appearance Of
being small roll TOP desks. A vast
should comes up from the dash. SO
that the driver ana footman on the
front seat have their bodies rather
more out Of sight than visible when
in place.
The design il supposed to be some
thing on the order OF an old -fashioned
coach. Hence the bonnet is fastened
with q broad strap with an old style
buckle. very huge. and for soma rea-
son there II a broad strap across the
front from spring horn to snrin~ horn.
Two tool boxes made in imitation OF
rtioue nail studded wooden safes
and fastened each with huge pad
lock are on the running hoardA The
car 10 a tremendous oddity. This
cha isis was driven at the rate OF ~
miles an hour nv Louis Disbrow on
the Motor Parkway. II Is said. be-
, fore the hof7v wss mt on.
Unuessal InOlIlws Cur.
| Another unusual looking car is .
psc-Pic roadster. all red leather in
side and with broad dirkrv seat Of
red leather In the rear. This car has
Ia sns,at and rahy exterior with which
the HamSx Interior contrasts oddlv.
AstrA from these the cther urusual
marhipes are thnae which depenh
Sffhef IN FI6 or rotor for bAInx odd.
At the Benz stand were several cars
| innurpIs and ore In N~ht green. the
| last named with a combination con-
! vertshse body nv Brewster which ans
nAr~nv1y " pnnular IN thsa~ forst<u
| chasses. Th~ RArx folk reported that
they had sold two cars In the course