Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-02-27
TWELFTH annual
AUTO SHOW GETS
WELL UNDER Way
Million Dollar Motor Car Expo
sition Opens Under the Most
Auspicious Circumstances
in History.
GIVEN UNQUALIFIED o. x.
Even Those Who Saw National
Shows Take Their Hats
Off to Omaha.
CROWD is A BUYING ONE
CROWD Is A BUYING ONE

Omaha placed its unqualified stamp
of approval on the twelfth annual mo
tor car exposition, which opened at
the municipal Auditorium yesterday
under the most ahspicious circum-
stances that ever atte1ded the open
ing of an Omaha automobile show.
That the 1917 exposition easily sur
passes any and all of its eleven prede-
cessors was the verdict of every per-
son who was on hand to inspect the
g1ittering array of shiny new cars.
Even those who had seen the great
national shows at New York and Chi
cago had to admit that Omaha's show,
although not so large and pretentious,
does not have to take back seat tor
any Of them.
Even the most critical observer
must confess that the Omaha display
is most complete and exhaustive
one. Apparently nothing is missing.
On all sides are luxurious limousines,
dainty eoupes, sturdy touring cars,
snappy runabouts, nifty cloverleats
and racy speed cars. Every single
one of the sixteen standard models
are exhibited and the potential buyer,
no matter what his taste may be,
will find at least one car to his liking.
There are over 200 machines valued
at over $l,000,0O0.
Crowd Is Large.
II wasn't found necessary to call
out the police last night as it was a
couple of times in years gone by
when complimentary tickets for the
inaugural night were distributed with
a lavish hand, but the crowd was a
substantial one. At 9 o'clock, when
the crowd reached its maximum, one
found it quite task to move up and
down the congested aisles with any
degree of freedom, -
One very noticeable fact about the
crowd last night was that it was what
the dealers and exhibitors call "a
buying crowd" 1t seemed that al
most everybody there was vitality in
terested in motor cars. There was,
of course, number of the curious on
hand for the first opportunity to give
the show the visual forward and back,
but the percentage was unusually
small. 1t was an unfortunate, dealer,
indeed, who didn't add anywhere
from a dozen to score of new i'm
mediate prospects" to his list last
night.
The decorative scheme of this
years show was the inspiration for
many enthusiastic exclamations Of
delight, especially among the fair
sex. The decorations were carefully
worked out this year so that they
would be effective without taking up
a needless quantity of valuable exhi-
bition space. The predominating col
ors are white and green, which blend
harmoniously with the brilliant and
highly-polished machines. Illumina-
ton is all overhead, the floor lights
having been eliminated entirely, and
the effect is very striking.
Basement Is Surprise.
A surprise was in store for those
who visited the basement. 1t isn't
merely basement this year. 1t is
called the Palm room. In the past
commercial trucks have always been
exhibited in the basement, but this
year the room was needed for pleas
urc cars. So the basement has been
dressed UP Just like the main floor
and palms and ferns and colors have
been distributed so lavishly one
would hardly believe it the same old