On this day 1956 Geneva show; Aston RAC rally win

ON THIS DAY IN 1956

Motor shows used to overflow with niche creations

An exceptionally beautiful Geneva motor show

FOR THE THIRD year running, the Geneva motor show – the car industry’s biggest annual bash –has regrettably been cancelled, so let us look back on a happier time.

The 1956 salon was “noteworthy for the fine array of coachwork art from Italy” . These included Ghia’s Jaguar XK140 (“a car to delight every enthusiast”), a “severe but distinctive” two-door based on the Mercedes-Benz 300 and a Jaguar Mk VII coupé from Farina, and an “unusually beautiful little coupé” made by Abarth and Bertone on a Fiat 600 (seen above in gold). And we really did mean little: the 215A was a hardly believable 3ft 8in tall.

More handmade beauties came from the only native firm present, Graber: two soft-top versions of the TC 108G from Alvis, with which it would enjoy a long, fruitful bond.

The only all-new car there was the funny little Renault Dauphine, which we suspected could strongly challenge the Volkswagen Beetle.

American and British companies also displayed healthy contingents.

But even so, greatest attention within the vast halls was paid to a coach, of all things. The space-age 18-seat Golden Dolphin, made by Viberti, could be propelled by its Fiat gas turbine at up to 125mph! KRIS CULMER

MOTORSPORT

Aston Martin wins best RAC Rally to date

The 1956 running of the RAC Rally was “probably the best ever” since its 1932 inception, as “although run in ideal weather conditions, the 2100-mile event had been fast and very tough, making heavy demands on cars and crews” .

The 205 cars had set out concurrently from Hastings and Blackpool to meet at Prescott for a timed hillclimb; then driven to Bridgwater for a night navigation section; onwards to a succession of tests at Castle Combe, Matchams Park and Brands Hatch; and then again to Silverstone, Cadwell Park and Gamston. Next the field bifurcated for drives to York and Harrogate, before meeting up again at Scotch Corner, from where they headed through the night up to Charterhall, back down to Penrith and on to Blackpool for the final tests the next morning. “The vicissitudes, adventures and misfortunes of those that set out on the event would fill a book. As a proving ground for production cars, there’s no doubt the RAC Rally has a great deal to commend it; there can be little at fault with a car that survives its considerable strain. ” Best proved of the 162 finishers, then, was the Aston Martin DB2, followed by the Jaguar XK150, Morgan Plus Four and Jaguar Mk I. Rather than brave it on a de Havilland Comet, our man went to Geneva in a Radford-built Sapphire Countryman with Armstrong Siddeley’s exports boss. The big saloon, with a 3.4-litre straight six, “provided restful and efficient transport” , with a (mostly) comfy ride, easy power steering, low-speed docility and “quite happy” 80mphcruising, “andattractedlots of attention wherever displayed” .

Danes look on longingly

While exotica peacocked in Geneva, prohibitively taxed Danes browsed economy cars in Copenhagen and gazed longingly at the Citroën DS. Ford and Volkswagen were leading forces and got much attention with their new Zodiac and Karmann Ghia. British cars were prominent – from Nuffield brands especially – as were Germany’s ultra-cheap microcars.