Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1920-02-03
AUTOMOBILE SHOW
IN FULL SWING;
GOES IN HIGH GEAR
The Attendance on the Opening
Day Was Ahead Of Expectations
and Will be Bigger Today.
ACCESSORIES DRAW CROWD

The members of the Automobile Trade
Association are more than pleased, to Judge
from the comments of such as were en-
countered at the show yesterday afternoon
and evening, with the results of their
efforts Ks they have eliminated in the
iisp1Ay now To be seen at the Hotel du-
Pont ball room and lobby.
As was to be anticipated, the attendance
was light yesterday afternoon, many who
would otherwise have made an effort To
be on hand refusing To believe that the
show would open ON schedule time. AS
"A result there were few outside of the As
ISOLATION who made up the group that
surrounded the du Pont made in VIII
.mington" car into which Mayor Taylor
stepped shortly after one o'clock, with
Chairman Macdonald, who made n short
speech predicting a future of success for
the show and for the Association, which
has the cooperation of all the dealers,
and marks the beginning of new era IN
the trade of interests of the city.
Mayor Taylor alluded to his early and
continued interest III automobiles ever
since these "came Il. making It a par
ticular pleasure to appear in connection
with anything concerned with autos.
i even love to sniff the smell OF gasoline
good, bad or Indifferent he said.
He admitted having been for a time in
terested In the business IN its early days
IN Wilmington. AT that time" he said.
for n man to be known as an automobile
dealer WAS almost To spoil his credit;
while now it is a standardized and recog-
uizod line, commanding any extent of
financial backing. Auto dealers are no
longer considered in the fakir clan; they
have developed beyond that point, so
that bankers and investors are no longer
afraid of them, but chase them for other
reasons To get their business OF all
the shows ever held in Wilmington, the
Mayor said, this is the most attractive
and he spoke from experience, having
attended them all.
Il am very glad 20 declare the Fifth
Auto Show IN Wilmington formally open
ed" WAS his closing sentence.
The paid admission" feature adopted
after much discussion for the FIRST time by
the show managers Is on trial, and of course
the result can only be fully measured when
Il is all over, and il viewed in retrospect.
30 far. il seems fully 10 have justified
itself, especially in consideration of the
limitations of space due primarily to the
number of lines of cars represented here.
As 1T is, the aisle spaces were comfort
ably filed yesterday afternoon and last
evening ElNiilR tit ut1tSSstN iotii Att
visitors TO move about from exhibit TO
exhibit and allowing statesmen sufficient
freedom TO demonstrate the points Of their
lob" to promising prospects. IL was
reported last night that several sales had
been closed of ears shown.
FIRST suowINGs HERE.
From the point OF view of the casual
visitor, the show has many angles of in
tkv,n s<f . k.
models that were not shown either at the
New York or Philadelphia shows, and in
addition other specially finished exam piles
Of standard models. An arena four times
Is large could easily have been filed with
the various models of the different lines
and with trucks, tractors and traflers,
had such space been available, all of which
Is an added argument for the new audi
toriurn which must come to the assembly
facilities of this city.
The lobby, where the accessories are
shown, or will be when the delayed work of
installation has been completed for all
the entrants, was thronged all the evening.
This is only natural, when the more pop
ular nature of the articles shown Is con-
sidered, As compared with the cars costing
thousands, and the fact that many OF them
lend themselves to demonstration. which
always holds the crowd.
An appreciated feature of the afternoon
and evening sessions In the ball room was
the music furnished by the Original Six
Orchestra a local organization, devoted
10 jazz, but which is also versatile enough
10 vocalise at intervals. Their program
begins at O'Clock in the afternoon and
$50 in the evening.
The decorations are likewise due TO
local talent, having been furnished and
arranged by Grover G. White, of 312
West Twenty-eighth street, whose efforts
have been very satisfactory to the show
committee and highly appreciated by the
public.
A detailed review OF the cars and ap-
pliances shown will be prepared for
Wednesdays Every Evening"