Earls Court Bread and Butter
Armstrong-Siddeley Stand No. 141
The big Sapphire saloons will be shown, available with several variants of transmission, together with two new 2.3-litre saloons, details a which we hope to publish on page 691.
Austin Stand No. 162
Austin will exhibit their wide range of family cars, from the diminutive, economical A30 of 803 c.c. to the six-cylinder 90-m.p.h. 2,639-c.c. A90 Westminster saloon.
Borgward Stand No. 150
The fast six-seater Isabella 1,500 saloon, which has the economy of a 1½-litre with the performance of a 2-litre car, will attract visitors, besides which the Borgward 2,400 sports saloon will be shown. New is the Isabella TS for which 75 b.h.p. and 90 m.p.h. is claimed. A Motor Sport road-test report of the Isabella appeared in October, 1955.
Buick Stand No. 125
Two cars are on show, the Buick Roadmaster sedan which is the most expensive model in the range and the Century sedan which is a new pillarless four-door saloon.
Cadillac Stand No. 125
The experimental “La Espada” is on show, this car has a fibreglass body automatically dipping headlamps, hydramatic transmission, and thermostatic interior heating. A Cadillac Fleetwood saloon is also being exhibited.
Chevrolet Stand No. 146
Four models are on view two model 1,019 Belair saloons, a 1,076D Belair coupé and a 1,067D Convertible sedan.
Chrysler Stand No. 158
A Chrysler New Yorker Newport coupé with two doors, an Imperial four-door saloon and a Windsor saloon can be seem also a Plymouth Belvedere saloon.
Citroën Stand No. 155
If the reception which the long-awaited new Citroën DS19 got at the Paris Salon, where people queued-up for three hours to see it and had to be dispersed by the police, you will be lucky to get anywhere near it, but a description appears on page 686. Besides this all, hydraulic, pneumatically suspended, disc-braked, front-drive 2-litre, those old favourites the Light Fifteen and Big Fifteen will be on the Stand, as well as the little 425-c.c. 2 c.v., tested by Motor Sport in April, 1954.
Daimler Stand No. 167
These beautiful, typically British cars with the brilliant fluid-flywheel-cum-epicyclic transmission will be on Stand 167, where the model of the greatest interest to our readers will be the Conquest Roadster, and Conquest Century 100 b.h.p. saloon.
Dodge Stand No. 161
Dodge models with automatic transmission are the Custom Royal sports coupé, the Custom Royal four-door saloon, the Kingsway Custom four-door saloon and the De Soto Diplomat Custom four-door saloon.
D.K.W. Stand No. 134
The interesting 896-c.c. three-cylinder, two-stroke, front-drive Sonderklasse saloon is sure to be a centre of attraction, for its ability to out-perform and certainly to out-corner large cars has been demonstrated in this season’s production-car races. New models will he shown, beautifully finished as before, 12 per cent. more powerful, more handsome and more roomy. A Motor Sport road-test report appeared in September, 1954.
FIAT Stand No. 124
Fiat will show the little rear-engined 600 economy saloon which was such a source of interest last year, the New 1,100 saloon which possesses such a truly excellent all-round performance in a handy-sized, pleasant-to-handle car, and the bigger 1,400A saloon. Motor Sport road-test of the New 1,100 appeared in July, 1955.
Ford Stand No. 137
Ford still markets our least-expensive car, the rugged Popular Saloon, costing £390 14s. 2d. with pt. This, and the Anglia and Prefect Tens, with side-valve engines, and the famous o.h.v. Consul, Zephyr and Zodiac Fords are continued virtually unchanged for 1956, but with the addition of de Iuxe Anglia and Prefect models costing approximately £20 more than the normal versions. Motor Sport tests of the Anglia appeared in July, 1954, and of the Zephyr Zodiac in September, 1954.
Hillman Stand No. 164
The popular Hillman Minx will appear with unchanged technicalities beneath “Gay Look” two-tone exterior. It is backed-up by the useful, all-purpose side-valve Husky utility and estate car and convertible versions using the o.h.v. Minx engine.
Hudson Stand No. 147
Black Hudson Hornet, Hudson Wasp in two-tone green, and Rambler cross-country wagon in-two-tone blue, are on show as well as the Rambler Super series which is a four-door saloon in red and white. All are six-cylinder models and are fitted with radios and heaters, overdrive, screenwashers, and reclining seats.
Humber Stand No. 163
The new Humber Hawk estate car will be the main attraction on this Stand, bucked up by the well-tried, modestly-priced Super Snipes now with raised compression-ratio, giving 6½ more b.h.p.
Lagonda Stand No. 139
Using the same twin o.h. camshaft 3-litre six-cylinder engine as the Aston Martin, the Lagonda represents one of Britain’s luxury cars and our only luxury model to have its back wheels sprung independently. Favoured by H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh, the Lagonda was last reported by Motor Sport in September, 1951.
Lanchester Stand No. 166
The docile Lanchester Sprite with fluid flywheel and self-change gearbox, is just the car for the ladies.
Lincoln Stand No. 136
The Lincoln Premier four-door saloon, the Fairlane saloon. the Continental Mk. II saloon and the Mercury Montclair saloon can be seen. All are fitted with automatic transmission.
Morris Stand No. 157
Ten Morris exhibits will be shown, covering the delightful-to-control Minor in saloon, tourer and Traveller forms, with its willing o.h.v. 803 c.c. engine if rather sad gear-ratios, the Cowley and Oxford family saloons, Oxford Traveller, and the six-cylinder Isis saloon.
Nash Stand No. 118
Four models are being exhibited, the Ambassador, the Statesman and the Rambler. All are r.h.d. models and have overdrive and heaters. The British-built Metropolitan will also be on show.
Oldsmobile Stand No. 122
Three Oldsmobiles will be on this stand, the 98 four-door Holiday sedan, the 98 Starfire, and the 88 Super four-door saloon. All have automatic transmission.
Packard Stand No. 152
Two Six-passenger Patrician four-door saloons can be seen. Both are fitted with power steering and brakes and power-operated seats. White-wall tyres are fitted as standard.
Panhard et Levassor Stand No. 143
Enthusiasts for opposed cylinders, front-drive and air-cooling should visit this Stand, where the little 850-c.c. Dyna 56 flat-twin will be found with improvements to chassis and engine, including the adoption of valve tappets automatically adjusted by hydraulic mechanism.
Peugeot Stand No. 129
This old-established French make stands out amongst family transport for its excellent steering, braking and handling qualities and some unusual technical features such as push-rod actuated inclined o.h. valves, coil-springs at the back, and a worm-drive back axle. Both the 1.2-litre 203 model and the 1½-litre 403 Peugeot are very completely equipped, yet sell at competitive prices. Motor Sport’s appreciation of the 203 saloon appeared in October, 1955.
Pontiac Stand No. 120
A Starchief convertible in black and white and a Starchief Catalina coupé will be exhibited; both are I.h.d, models with Hydramatic transmission, power steering and brakes, electric window lifts, radios and heaters. Two four-door sedans with r.h.d. can also be seen; these are fitted with synchromesh gearboxes, radios and heaters. All have 180-b.h.p. engines.
Renault Stand. No. 145
The popular little rear-engined, all-independently-sprung Renault 750 will be shown in improved form, retaining its brisk performance with commendable economy, and with an electro-magnetic automatic clutch as an optional extra. The Frégate is available in a simplified form and with an enlarged-bore 2.14-litre engine in the Amiral saloon, two-colour Grand Pavois saloon and the Domaine station wagon. This model, too, contains detailed improvements. The last Motor Sport road-test report on the Renault 750 appeared in May, 1955.
Riley Stand No. 169
Here Englishmen can admire the Riley Pathfinder, a large, slab-sided saloon, appointed in traditional style, yet capable of around 100 m.p.h., an excellent speed from a 2½-litre engine. Vacuum-servo brakes are used.
Rolls-Rouce Stand No. 168
The Silver Cloud and Silver Wraith Series E Rolls-Royce cars have a specification similar to that of the faster Bentley, including a six-cylinder i.o.e. engine and mechanical-servo brakes. They are the most costly normal cars at Earls Court, the Silver Cloud chassis being priced at over £3,087 and the Silver Wraith Park Ward limousine, Hooper limousine and James Young saloon costing, with p.t., £7,502 7s. 6d.
Rover Stand No. 160
The typically English Rover, which might be termed an upper middle-class Rolls-Royce, continues in 60, 75 and 90 four-door saloon forms. The 2.6-litre Rover 90 now has raised compression-ratio, resulting in an increase of 3 b.h.p., Dewandre vacuum-servo to assist the Girling brakes, and a Laycock de Normanville overdrive is an optional extra. The free-wheel is discontinued on this model.
Simca Stand No. 115
The very pleasing Simca Aronde family saloons will be displayed in improved form, with enlarged engine, normal or Simcamatic automatic clutch to choice, and improved appearance.
Simca Stand No. 148
On this Stand will be shown products of the Vedette division of the French Simca organisation.
Singer Stand No. 144
Interest on this Stand will centre around the overhead-camshaft Hunter saloons, supplemented by a faster Hunter 75 version having a 75 b.h.p. cast-iron edition of the 1½-litre twin o.h.c. cylinder head evolved for the Singer engine in the sports H. R.G. The open Roadster is continued and a lower-priced Hunter S saloon is offered at £895 0s. 10d.
Skoda Stand No. 156
The only Czechoslovakian cars in the Show will be exhibited by L. C. Rawlence & Co. Ltd., who used to race the O.M. They will show the new Skoda 440, claimed to give 40 h.p., 40 m.p.g. and 72 m.p.h.
Standard Stand No. 142
One of the outstanding new bread-and-butter cars at the Show, the Standard Vanguard Ill retains the proven 2,088-c.c. wet-liner four-cylinder engine which has served this excellent car so well all over the world as well as powering tractors and Triumph, Doretti and Morgan sports cars so successfully. But the car itself has been re-styled into a handsome, full six-seater, very fully equipped, yet priced only £44 higher than the basic price of the former model. The exceedingly employable Standard Eight and Ten are also shown, being available in normal form and also as de luxe editions and with Good Companion estate body. Motor Sport’s impressions of the Standard Ten will he found in our issue of June, 1955, and of the phase-two Vanguard in February, 1951.
Studebaker Stand No. 127
Three 1955 models are on the stand. There is the President State four-door sedan in black with r.h.d., the Champion Regal four-door saloon in green and a President State hardtop in grey which is a l.h.d. model and has automatic transmission and power steering.
Vauxhall Stand No. 165
Vauxhalls have a fine reputation as spacious, brisk and comparatively economical “medium” cars. For 1955 altered exterior trim, winding windows, lever-type door locks, better visibility, smarter interiors and new colour schemes are available and the brakes have been improved. Prices have risen somewhat for four-cylinder Wyvern and six-cylinder Velox and Cresta models.
Volkswagen Stand No. 135
Here believers in rear-engined, air-cooled, all-independent-torsionally-sprung, flat-four small cars can enjoy the deservedly popular VW in its new form, with greater passenger and luggage space, brighter colours and a slight power-increase, etc. Motor Sport’s last road-test report appeared in May, 1954. Unfortunately the new Karmann Ghia coupé will not be shown but the VW convertible will be seen for the first time at Earls Court, and the Microbus de luxe will be on the Stand.
Wolseley Stand No. 138
The practical 94-m.p.h. Wolseley 6/90 and 1½-litre 4/44 saloons will be exhibited. The writer is sorry to find that the typical single o.h.c. valve actuation, a legacy of Wolseley’s aero-engine experience of the First World War, has given way to push-rods and rockers.