The New York herald., 1920-01-04
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growing industry the National Association
n Automobile Manufacturers was or
ganizsd and It was decided to hold the
national exhibition at the beginning Of the
year instead Of at the close and to have II
managed by a committee on which the Ma
tional Association. OF Automobile Manu-
facturers, the sAutomobile Club OF Amer
lea, under whose auspices the first show
was held. and the Garden company should
each be represented. After that progress
went on at express speed
There was no show In 19ue, but I'm Janu-
ary. 1903. the third show was held, with
LEO exhibitors represented. BY 1906 the
number OF exhibitors had increased to go
and several applications had to be refused
for lack OF space. With the 1906 show the
contract between the National Association,
Of Automobile Manufacturers, the Madi-
son Square Garden and the Automobile
Club OF America expired and the AssocIa-
ton of Licensed Automobile Manufacture
ers obtained a lease Of the Garden for
several years, with an option OF renew
ing It.
With the expansion Of tho industry each
year saw more exhibitors represented at
the show. In the exposition held January
o-15. 1910, there were 323, of which fifty-four
showed cars, twentythree motor cycles
and 246 accessories. In 1918. both Madison
Square Garden and Grand Central Palace
were obtained to afford space for the 545
exhibitors. During the first week Of the
show a total OF ninetythree makers of pas
senger cars, twenty-five motor cycles and
S2 Of accessories had displays In the two
buildings, and during the second week six
ty-six manufacturers OF commercial We
hicles exhibited their products.
AS the war went on and we became more
deeply involved in 1t the automobile in
dustry, like every other. devoted itself al
most exclusively to production for war
purposes. During the dark days OF 1918
it was decided by the National Automobile
Chamber Of Commerce that no show should
be held in January. 1919. After the armis-
tice was signed the manufacturers reit-
Grated their decision because factories were
too firmly on a far basis to be Immediately
reconverted to peace-time uses. The auto
mobile dealers, however. planned to carry
on unbroken the tradition OF the automo-
bile show. With the cooperation OF manu-
facturers the annual display took place In
Madison Square Garden and Sixty-ninth
Regiment Arunory.
Well on the way 10 normal conditions,
with factories producing at the rate of
1900 900 cars a year and demand far ex-
ceeding supply. at that, the industry this
year will celebrate its twentieth birthday
in big, 'double-header' show. Passenger
cars and trucks will be shown during the
same week. January $40. respectively, in
Grand Central Palace and Eighth Coast
Defence Armory. Marking the opening Of
a new era Of service for the automotive
vehicle a series Of conferences on motor
transportation has been Incorporated with
the motor truck division Of the show.
Eighty-seven makes Of passenger cars. sew
enty-fiveof trucks and 2S4 of accessories
will be displayed at this years New York
show.
It was dramatic moment when the
great entrance of the Grand Central Pal
ace was thrown open, yesterday after
noon, January 81, Saturday. to admit the
public to the four-floor display of the
greatest National Passenger Automobile
Show in automobile history. Hundreds
Of men and women who, before the war;
gave little or merely passing attention to
motor vehicles were there because during
the war they were chumniy, under the
stress Of war, with carburetors, tires,
mufflers and gears and all the other
parts of the motor car.
At the same time under the auspices
the biggest motor truck show was opened
at the Eight Coast Artillery Armory, the
biggest in the world. at Kingshridge road
and Jerome avenue.
In the minds Of the thousands who at
tend them each year the National Auto