The Princely Sales Pitch

Four trumpeters of Her Majesty's Royal Horse Guards blew a fourfold fanfare. Down green-carpeted steps in Manhattan's Coliseum walked Britain's Prince Philip past unicorns draped in silks and tartans. Quickly he got down to business, gave a suave but hard sell. "We hope you will find a lot of interesting things," said Philip, "and we hope you will want to own many of the things you see."

With that, Philip declared a 17-day British Exhibition open, took off with Vice President Richard Nixon and New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller (see NATIONAL AFFAIRS) for a chummy hour's tour of the show, trailed by admirers and the curious. Never before has Great Britain staged such a large show abroad. It is twice as large as last year's Soviet exhibition in Manhattan (TIME, July 6, 1959). Along with a replica of a 17th century coffee house, where Lloyd's of London first began writing ship insurance, and an English pub, the exhibition has on display machinery and merchandise worth at least $200 million. "Don't be misled by what looks like old-fashioned pomp and pageantry," said Prince Philip. "It is true, of course, that the plumbing in some of our older houses is not all that it might be, but that doesn't alter the fact that three out of every five gas turbines flying or on order in the entire Western world are British." Export, or Else. Although Britain's economy is booming and exports last year reached a record $9,676,800,000 (v. $6,317,000,000 in 1950), Britain faces serious dollar difficulties. Last winter the government relaxed the last major restrictions against dollar imports, and since then, British merchants have been buying from the U.S. at a record clip. In the first quarter of 1960, U.S. sales to Great Britain are up 61%. But British sales to the U.S. are up only 14%. Great Britain has opened a drive to increase sales to the U.S. to avert a return to the unpopular import restrictions.

To boost sales in the U.S., which last year passed the $1 billion mark, Britain is depending principally on the tried and tested. On display is the Rolls-Royce Conway by-pass jet engine, already powering newer models of both the DC-8 and Boeing 707. Sales of nonelectrical machinery jumped last year to $125 million, replacing Scotch as Britain's second largest export item to the U.S. Machinery manufacturers, trying harder than ever, were showing an extremely wide range of machines at the Coliseum from those that counted currency to those that made cigarettes.

Elegant & Expensive. Some of the merchandise is elegant and expensive. London Silversmith Gerald Benney, designer of the ciborium for Coventry's new cathedral, offers a squat, modern tea service for $1,080. Harry Hall Ltd., outfitters for sportsmen, has the latest foxhunting outfit for men, including riding whip, for $163. But many items are both stylish and moderately priced. For example, Wedgwood sells a five-piece setting of bone china for $13.75.

Among the products new to the U.S. market: Coventry Climax's 45-h.p. outboard motor. Autos, Britain's chief export item to the U.S., which last year accounted for sales of $275 million, are being hard hit by the U.S. compacts. To help offset the competition, some British automakers are concentrating on small vans that can be outfitted as land cruisers. Most eye-catching: Rootes Motors' Commer Caravan, a station wagon with stove, sink, bed that sleeps four, and a roof that pushes up to give 6 ft. of head room. Price: $3,655.

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