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The
1st Tokyo Motor Show (1954
. 4/20 - 4/29)
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The 1st Tokyo Motor Show Poster |
On April 20, 1954, after the industry established a Motor
Show Office in Automotive Industrial Association, the
first All Japan Motor Show was held at Hibiya Park. H.I.H.
Prince Takamatsu attended as patron, and the Association's
President Mr. Yasushi Yuge as Chairman of the Show. Since
the exhibition was held in the open, passageways turned
to muddy roads when it rained and tents were blown down
when the wind blew. Still, 254 exhibitors displayed 267
vehicles. It was a success as the largest motor show after
the war.
The fact that only 17 of 267 vehicles exhibited at the
first motor show were passenger cars reflects the state
of the industry at that time. Trucks were the mainstay
of the industry. Most exhibits were construction equipment,
trucks, buses, three-wheelers and motorcycles. This trend
continued until the 5th Motor Show.
Major exhibits in the passenger car area included: Austin
A40, Hilman Minxand Renault 4CV, which had just begun
domestic production; the purely domestic 6-seater Prince
Sedan AISH, already equipped with 4-speed synchronized
stick shift; Toyopet Super RH from Toyota; Datsun Passenger
Delux (Model DB-5) from Nissan; Sedan and Van from Ohta
Motor; and three-wheeled passenger cars from Daihatsu.
The significance of the shows was great. Around 1954,
electric washing machines were the only consumer durable
that had come into wide use. To the public, automobiles
were really beyond reach. Nevertheless, over ten days
547,000 people attended the show. This greatly encouraged
the industry as an indication of potential demand, and
gave them a bright outlook on the future.
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