Continuing from a recent News Item concerning the 1952 Earls Court Motor Show we now have the promised cleaned up version of the photo,
Can you see the difference?
The Motor Show at Earls Court in 1952 was of particular importance to Armstrong Siddeley Motors. The launch of an all new car in the what we today recognise as the Sapphire 346 range. New svelte styling and using the most modern methods of construction, this would prove to be the most produced Armstrong Siddeley model.
The photo was taken on the opening day, 22nd October at three minutes to nine.
The ghostly figures in the picture show us that the exhibitors are busily getting everything in place for the opening in just over an hours time. However the Armstrong Siddeley stand is all shipshape and a member of the stand staff has come up on to the gallery to take a picture. Note the cleaning ladies to the left of the stand who have been asked to 'hold fire' till the picture is taken. Four sections of the railings defining the stand area have been recovered and restored by the Heritage Trust. Two of these are currently framing part of the Armstrong Siddeley exhibition in the Gatehouse at Kenilworth Castle.
The Motor Show ran till 1st November and was attended by 462,538 visitors, some 4,000 from overseas who were given free entry. New models were announced by eight manufacturers including the Sapphires of Armstrong Siddeley. Other notables were the Bentley Continental, and the Triumph
TR2 prototype.