New Styles in Autos

In Paris last week, the 41st International Auto Show got off to a fast start with all the fanfare and excitement of a fashion showing. On the first day, 100,00 auto enthusiasts packed the refurbished, fluorescent-lighted Grand Palais on the Champs Elysees to gape at such fancy sights as the Rapier, a white coupe designed by Milwaukee's Brooks Stevens and built in Germany on a Cadillac chassis, and the King of Arabia's custom-built Rolls-Royce (price: $27,000). Altogether, a record 107 manufacturers from nine nations trotted out their glittering showpieces.

One of the hits of the show was the Ford of France's new Vedette, which has an 80-h.p. V-8 engine and was developed with the help of the U.S. Ford Co.'s engineers (TIME, July 12). The Vedette has a better power-weight ratio than its U.S. cousin, will accelerate from zero to 60 m.p.h. in less than 20 seconds. It proved so popular that on opening day more than 1,500 orders were placed for the Versailles (de luxe) model alone. Simca showed off its new convertible. Other major attractions: a custom-built racing Jaguar with the famed 160-h.p. XK-120 engine; an $8,000 road-racing Porsche with a 70-h.p. engine and top speed of about 115 m.p.h.; a $10,000 Fiat designed by Pinin Farina with a top speed of around 120 m.p.h.

Another crowd-stopper was Citroen's grey canvas-topped Deux Chevaux (for its 2 h.p.--10 U.S. h.p.), a famed little low-priced, four-passenger model sporting an automatic gearshift, the first in a cheap French car. The gears change automatically as the engine increases and decreases its speed. If Deux Chevaux is successful, Citroen will concentrate on producing clutchless cars.

French visitors to the show were also surprised by price cuts. Simca reduced one model by $180, and Renault announced cuts up to $128. Citroen and Peugeot are expected to follow suit. Renault also came out with a time payment plan, something new for French car buyers. Frenchmen may sign up to buy a new Renault with 25 monthly payments, get delivery after the eighth payment is made.

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