New-York tribune., 1912-01-01
RUSHING SHOW EXHIBITS
Autos for the Garden Display
Crowd Trains from West.
IMPORTERS BUSY TO-DAY
Many Cars Intended for Salon
Are Still in Hands of the
Customs Authorities.

Customs Authorities.
Nearly every train reaching New York
these days brings in cars and factory rep
resentatives for the big automobile show to
open in Madison Square Garden on Satur-
day evening. Many OF the cars to be exhib-
tied are already In storage or salesrooms.
but large number Of machines have been
held in the factories, in order that they
might be surprise for the Eastern public
The Garden to-day looks like lumber
yard, so crowded is It with the material
that by Saturday afternoon will be In place
and painted 10 conform with the general
color schemes devised by the Automobile
Board of Trade. Fully three hundred men
are working In the big building preparing
for the show. Nearly every trade is repre-
sented, and II would require hours Of in
spection to gain an idea OF the immense
detail necessary In preparing for a show
OF this character. The contractors. how
ever, are up 10 their schedule. and there
Is no doubt that everything will be ready
on time.
extensive display Of special machines this
year that has characterized former shows
Heretofore many concerns have prepared
cars OF unusual type as to coors and fit
tings, purely TO draw attention to their
regular models Few OF these so-called
show" cars have been sold at the show,
because OF the necessarily high prices
placed on them.
In some cases the object OF their produc-
ton has been to ascertain whether OF not
the public demanded such luxury. The re-
sultant sales proved that very few auto
mobile users care for any advance in lux
ury over the average car. which Is about
as comfortable as can be desired. The most
persistent and successful producer Of spe-
cial cars, the Pierce Arrow Company, OF
Buffalo. will come TO the Garden this year
with only ordinary models, having dropped
the policy OF preparing machines costing
thousands OF dollars more than those OF
catalogue type. New firms. OF course. may
display special cars, but the practice, as
far as known, is being abandoned.
Local hotels will reap a harvest as a re-
suit OF the automobile show season. Not
only will the displays In the Garden and
Palace bring hundreds OF factory repre-
sentatives, but they will also attract
agents and would-be agents from all parts
of the East. For instance, the WHY'S
Overland Company, OF Toledo. has taken
twenty-five rooms at the Prince George
Hotel. Other ccrcerns will require about
the same amount of room No other an
nual event brings so many out-of-town
visitors for any length OF time.
The importers. whose show opens to-
morrow about noon in the grand ballroom
OF the Hotel Astor, will spend a busy New
Years Day. Nearly all their cars are here,
but many have still to he passed through
the Custom House. There was general
complaint OF delay on this account on Sat
urday. although the customs agents were
doing their best 10 rush the cars through
The exhibition machines. many Of which
are coming from the London Berlin and
other European shows. are the finest ex-
amples OF the mechanics and body build
er's art ever brought to the United States.
Even the display cars which have reached
here. are being kept, I'm many instances
i'm storage rooms. so that the first public
view OF them will be when they are placed
I'm position in the Hotel Astor.
II may not be generally appreciated that.
nearly all of the makes OF cars at the
Astor have been sold in the United states
for years. A few are comparative new
comers to this ma rket, but the large ma
jority are as we'll known as are the stand
ard American cars. Dozens OF European
manufacturers have never made any enort
TO invade the American market. realizing
the difficulty OF obtaining a foothold In
country producing many machines OF the
same class and at much lower prices.
The Metallurgique. sold by Walter and !
Harry Allen. has been a notable exception !
in this regard Brought here only year !
ago the Belgian car met with Immediate
favor. and 1t is to-day one OF the best for
eign sellers Its success has been largely |
due TO the exquisite work OF Van den Plas |
the famous Brussels body builder. IN
doubtedly his productions have raised the
standard OF American body work. Tor the |
domestic product, good as II had been, has
improved noticeably in the last twelve
months. Burr, Quinby. Holbrook Brewster
uealv and others who specialize in that !
line are turning out bodies to-day that are |
practically the equal Of the best that Europe |
can produce Moreover, the American-built
body lasts longer in this climate, being less
subject TO cracking.
Motorists OF Long Island have new
guiding light The Packard Motor Car
Company has just completed new sign
on its new eight story service building IN
I,ong Island City which Is one OF the largest
in this vicinity. The sign reads, Packard
cars" and is I'm block channel letters.
Some idea OF the enormous size OF this sign
can be gathered from the fact that the
first letter is "A feet in height, and the re-
mainder in the word are IL feet The let
ters in the second word arc IL feet inches.
The dimensions OF the frame are % py ]"
foot The sign will be lighted from DUSK