NINTH OLYMPIA.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19151, 7 November 1927, Page 8

NINTH OLYMPIA.

f A GREAT SHOW.

OPENING CEREMONY.

The. Olynipia Motor Exhibition of 192", which was officially opened in the King Edward Barracks "on Saturday evening, is, in the opinion of many people who have seen its eight predecessors, as good as, if not better than, any of them. The exhibits cover a very wide range, and he would be a hard man to please who could not find a car among them to suit his taste American cars are in the inaio'ritv as is usually the case, but there is an increase in the number of British vehicles exhibited; the exhibits from other countries, however, are few. There are more six-cylinder cars than four-cylinder, the numbers being 47 and 42 respectively, and there are two eight-cylinder cars. It is noticeable that the colour schemes of the exteriors are characterised by greater taste than has been the case in previous years, and the interior furnishings suggest comfort, par-ticularly'-so in regard to the closed cars. Trucks and motor-cycles are also to the fore, but the latter are all of British manufacture. A sign of the times is the increased number of radio exhibits, while tyres, oils, and accessories are also well represented. A feature of Olympia exhibitions has always been the colour and lighting effects, and this year all previous efforts in this connexion have been eclipsed, powerful electric lamps, festoons, and greenery being used effectively to achieve the end aimed at. j In such a setting the exhibits are seen at their best and glitter like burnished gold. An Orchestra plays at each session, the exhibition being open from 9 a.m.

to 10 p.m. daily until Saturday evening next. There was a very large attendance at the opening ceremony. The president of the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Motor Traders' Association (Mr G*. Tench) said that the show was quite the best yet held, and he hoped it would prove the most successful. The enterprise of the motor traders in conducting such an exhibition showed that there was no stagnation in the industry. 'Mr Tench pointed out the many "advantages that the possession of a car gave one, and said that when the first Olympia was opened there were only 50" members of the Motor Traders' Association, whereas to-day they were 1000 strong. The Mayor (Mr J. K. Archer) said that the present, was the third occasion on which he had officiated at the opening of the exhibition. He was. glad to see an increase in the number of British cars exhibited, and he noticed, too, that all the motor-cycles on display were also of British manufacture. There was a large number of closed cars on exhibition, and! this, he understood, was to a big extent due to the demands of lady drivers, who,,he was nleased to notice, gave less trouble to the traffic inspectors than men.

Subsequently the objects of Olympia were the subject of a broadcast address by Mr Chas. Jones.