New-York tribune. [volume], January 04, 1920, Image 79

About New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
MOTOR CAR AND MOTOR TRUCK
SHOW SECTION
ififyf
PART VIII SIXTEEN PAGES
\
MOTOR CAR AND MOTOR TRUCK
SHOW SECTION
SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, ??920
PARTVIXI SIXTEEN PAGES
? eadcrs ?/Motor Cai^^
_______-___?____________________________. J ^* <**? ^*asW^ ^i&ow?Wm
World
>|B>\^V 9&&***'****Mf?te*rMtiYrrwf*r.*?.. .?.m. i?._. *--? r- ^- - _.
^'?*?2eZ^\ ?<??** ? ?<#\r ^?A M??I
_&D.Cha0/Ns
-??<-.-?.
Motorization of EWorld
Is Forecast by Erskine
Stndebaker President Urges Action to Restore
Parity of Exchange and Stimulate Foreign
Traded?Domestic .Demand Is Huge
By A. R. Ersktne
Prttident, Stndebaker Corporation
The records show there are 6,500,000
automobiles ?nd trucks in use in the
United State.. In the next ten years
the number undoubtedly will exceed
15,000,000. License fees and taxes paid
in the forty-eight states now approach
1190,000,000 annually. Federal and state
highway Jaws tad bond issues provide.
f?r great expansions of roads and
highways costing hundreds of millions
for some years to come. The United
States it motorized and the horse is
gone, except in. rural regions.
Transportation in the "World 17 ar
was motorized to a large extent by
American cars and trucks which made
food and brought acknowledgment
from all of the armies and Europeans
generally of their equality to the best
standards of European cars. No longer
is the American car referred to slight- !
iftgly in foreign countries. Europeans ?
admit that in desTgn, quality and Per?
formance our cars are as good as their ?
own, and in support of their opinion j
they are incorporating- a number of.;
American ideas in their post-war de- j
signs. At present the number of cars
sod trucks in use in the United States ?
is about four times the total number '
in use in Europe and all other foreign i
countries combined.
The automobile industry in the
United States, now' ranking as the
third largest industry, is in an ex-1
tmnely favorable position to export
ears and trucks to all markets of the ;
"*erld, and, in fact, it must depend on
these markets to take its surplus pro- j
daetion when normal conditions are I
I Wiwned, if it is to operate at maxi
aom capacity, which is now estimated i
?t 3,000,000 cars per annum. Great are ;
tiw .visibilities of the export markets, !
heeause in time all civilized countries j
**ul be motorized as we are. American !
***}? will predominate everywhere in j
th? great evolution of modern times, i
Export? from the United States will \
he controlled by the ability of our
fo/eign customers to pay upon our
*J*m? and pay in dollar exchange. For
?hat reason great concern is felt by ?
American manufacturers , over the i
premium* now commanded by the dollar ?
m most foreign markets. Something
*B**.jj* done by the government, com- j
?ereial and financial interests of the :
country to reduce these premiums and !
*? restore normal rates of exchange as I
?early as may be possible? It is _ ;
Hohlem of great complexity and has
??oy bearings, but it wijl be solved
?tisfactorily, and when it is the
American automobile industry will be I
?"*of the greatest beneficiaries in the !
?uraulua to foreign trade that will au- i
wmatioally ensue. !
? hardly seems necessary to say |
l-? ?_
anything about the domestic demand
'foi automobiles, because it is apparent
that such demand is continuous and
incessant, with a constant upward
tendency as population increases and
good toads are opened. The normal
replacement of worn-out cars is about
one million cars per annpm at the
present time, to which must be added
the demand from people who buy a new
car every year or two and dispose of
their old ones. These second-hand
cars are easily marketed, as a rule, and
many of them are exported.
Beauty-Six Mau
1 Points to Source
Of Good Looks
Feminine Influence Is What
Determines the Appear?
ance of Cars, Says Farley
"The beauty of the present-day motor
car is directly due to feminine influ?
ence," declared J. I. Farley, vice-presi?
dent of the Auburn Automobile Com?
pany, manufacturers of the Auburn
Beauty-Six. "In the purchase of a
motor car the women of the family are
usually the deciding factors. The
daughter of the family, especially, ex?
erts a great deal of influence in selec?
tion. .
"Women actually demand beauty in
their motor cars. They expect mechan?
ical excellence?they assume that the
better grade of motor cars will take
them to their destinations without trou?
ble. The actual determining factor in
their choice is the' design, finish and
appointments of their cars. Progres?
sive manufacturers immediately re?
sponded to this demand. A survey of
the 1920 exhibits is ample proof of this
response.
"When a woman drives a car down
the boulevard she demands that it ap?
pear sleek and well groomed. The fin?
ish must conform with the smart design
and the rich appointments. The mirror?
like finisi of the Auburn Beauty-Six
is secure? by the use of special enamel
hand-applied, and then hand-rubbed to
a gleaming luster. Women will not be
bothered with frequent polishing?they
want a car of lasting finish.
"With women driving more and
more," continued Mr. Farley, "there is
also a demand for dependable per?
formance. Consequently when you in?
spect a modern-day motor car you find
a reliable, powerful motor, a chassis
built to .stand the road strain, and
equipped with efficient springs for easy
riding comfort, and a body of smart
design, rich appointments and gleam?
ing finish."
Features of the Great Double
Automobile Shows Now in Progress
The Twentieth National Automobile Show, from January 3 to 10,
*?fairly lay claim to being the greatest automobile show ever held."
? is a two-part show, passenger ca*rs and accessories being dis
J?yed in the Grand Central Palace, and motor trucks, trailers and
|W?r accessories in the 8th Regiment Coast Artillery Armory. The
?Jace is at Lexington Avenue and Forty-sixth Street, the Armory at
?rome Avenue and 104th Street.
There are 84 exhibitor? of -passenger cars and 227 of accessories,
PBJ *nd sundries at the Palace. Motor truck exhibitors number 69,
?W there is a like number of those who ?how trailers, bodies, acces
?wie&t? and so on,
"? ???* 8h0W comm?t?c? in charge of the passenger car show is John
?WHly?, chairman; II. G. Boot and Harry M. Jewett. The show com
A3 o?f th<$ motor truck* is m*de UP <* M- L- Pocher, chairman;
?feow ?S? 1C a"d DaVid Lud,?m* Samuel A. Miles is manager of both
?lia?i ^?f car8 8t the P*?8?"?*?* ?how run In price from $715 to
>?' truck* are from *&3& ?P?
The shows are open all this week from 10 a. m. to 10:30 p, m.
?Sen i ???m *nd *v*nin?* th?re will be special subjects for discus
relating to motor truck? and transportation problems held at the
aL L* L Artillery Armory. The?? are keenly interesting to every
"?a? in whateoever line of business.
; <Utjrr'/U?h.?how week there will be meetinge and dinners of asso
^^anied with the automobile induatry, among then? the National
' WiuT tftmter of Commerce, the Rubber Association of America,
I mu?* *? ****** A??oc??Hon, Society of Automotive Engineers
*-^I" A*eeMorJr Manufacturer*. ^
<M/r?./ntt?>?
Americans Up and
Doing, Not Down
And Worrying
This Characteristic of the
Business Man Is Haled
by Durland as a Sure
Indication of Progress
' "The present industrial situation is
! peculiar irt that, while in the past
| periods of depression have generally
eome suddenly and as the result of un
_ecn or unappreciated forces, we are
j now confronted by many conditions
which the preachers of disaster would
have us believe will lead us to national
calamity, yet there seems to bo no
tendency toward undue retrenchment
to weather the threatened storm," is
the statement of D. C. Durland, presi?
dent of the Mitchell Motors Company.
"While all manufacturers are meet?
ing with some difficulty as a result of
the somewhat disturbed social condi?
tions now present, the dire predictions
so constantly held before us as threats
against the future do not seem to be
borne out to any extent by pre?
ant facts. We are asked to believe that
?h? country is about to be turned over
to _ovi-ti_m and descend into the chaos
of anarchy-riddorv, Bolshevik Russia.
But a review of the present industrial
situation reveals that that time is not
here now and cannot arrive for a long
time to come.
"One of tht reasons for our not suc?
cumbing to th? threatened cataclysm
is the apparent tfndsncy of the Amer?
ican business matt to be up and doing
rather than dow? and worrying.
"In the autora ?bile business there ap?
pears to be no failing oft* in the un?
precedented demand which character
ized the year just past. Reports from
the field indicate that in spite of all
increases in production, the supply will
not be great enough this year. This
certainly bespeaks a healthy condition'
in the country generally. On the other
hand, while there has bean some in?
terference with production, it has boeh
almost negligible so far as retarding
the delivery of cars is concerned, and
practically, all makers will probably
deliver during 1920 on a schedule very
close to their original estimates."
Oakland Has Huge
Plans for Output
To build as many cars in sixty min?
utes as were manufactured in a ten
hour day five years ago?
To make the output for the fiscal
year of 1030-'2l equal the total pro?
duction of tho pus* four years? '
These are the pYesent aime of the
Oakland Motor Car Company for the
twelve months beginning July 1, 1920.
Extensive plant additions, costing $3,
000,000 and already under way, are
scheduled to be completed then.
One unit will be an addition to the
present engine plant, built two years
ago. Another large building, three
stories in height, will be erected to
take care of the expansion of the as?
sembly department. Future produc?
tion schedules call for the building
of forty cars an hour, or 320? cars in
a working day of eight hours. This
production compares with the 1914 out?
put of forty cars in a ten-hour work?
ing: day.
it is indicative of the development
of the Oakland company under Fred
W. Warner, president, who first be?
came identified with the Oakland Com?
pany five years ago.
Based on an average daily produc?
tion of 800 cars after July 1, 1920, the
output for the succeeding twelve
months will total 100,000.
Special Bodies
Feature of the
Packard Exhibit
t
Unusual Features Mark the
Inclosed Cars Displayed
at Palace; Supplemental
Show Held at Branch
The recent announcement that the
production of Packard Twin Sixes
would be doubled during the coming
j year attracts special attention to the
I exhibit of the. Packard Motor Car
? Company of New York at the Automo
i bile Show.
The exhibit emphasizes the idea of
passenger transportation, including
two of the standard Packard models?
one open and one closed?and several
Twin Six chassis, equipped with spe?
cial bodies of unusually attractive de?
sign. v
The seven passenger touring car,
together with a seven passenger
brougham demonstrate the standard
Twin Sixes.
Of the Twin Sixes equipped with
special bodies, the seven passenger in?
side drive limousine is interesting to
the owner driver. All the windows
in this body drop entirely out of sight.
The division window may also be
dropped enabling the owner to have
one large compartment when doing his
owl driving. The window may be
raised, giving two compartments when
a chauffeur is used.
In the four passenger coup? the
seats are so laid out that two people
arc easily accommodated on the scat
set slightly to the rear of the driver'*
seat. An extra seat facing forward
folds under the cowl when not in use.
This model is compact and gives ex?
cellent service as a town car.
There is an extensive display of,
both stock and special body carriages
at the Packard snow rooms at Broad?
way ?nd Sixty-first Street to eupple
ment|the show exhibit.
1X(/c/<p/rf FDO&GBj ?O0GE B&OS
?? -r?-1-/-'?
Export Market Offers Its
I \ j Attractions to Americans
I Conations Must Be Studied if We Are To Be
Successful In It, Says Mitchell, Maxwell's
I president, Discussing Foreign Trade
Bu W. Ledyard Mitchell
President, Maxwell Motor Company
The arrow pointing the way to ex?
port sa les follows the sun. The "sell?
ing se ason," so called in the export
market|, covers a period of twelve
months , varying in localities with the
varyin?|- seasons. The American motor
industry, therefore, finds itself face
to faca with a stable and entirely
new field possessed of enormous possi?
bilities,! prepared to absorb and pay
cash fur a large part of its annual
proo uctSon.
The ?foreign market is practically
a nbw one for a great number of
AmeWcan manufacturers. Although
American cars have always been sold
in moderate numbers in these markets,
the present opportunity comes not only
in Europe but in the South and Cen?
tral .Americas and the Orient on
account of the. inability of the Euro?
pean ?manufacturer to supply the de?
mand! in th./se markets. Australia
and ?few Zealand have always been
large consumers of American cars and
if the Ameritan manufacturers are able
to furnish t? sufficient number of cars
during thrj coming year to supply
these markets which have opened
up so unc/xpectedly, they will estab?
lish themselves in the foreign field in
a manner which will place them in a
most enviable position with a minimum ?
cost for tihis development.
In meeting competition in world
trade thd American manufacturer is
developing a highly specialized class
of salesmen, known as "foreign
travelers*" which class was practically
unknown, to the American motor in?
dustry prior to the war. A new field
of advertising is being entered into
in which American methods will have
to be modified to meet the tempera
ments and customs of tha territory in
which the advertising is placed. The
foreign advertising field is not nearly
so highly developed as in America.
In South America,/for example, the
greatest advertising medium has a
circulation of only 145,000.
Each country has its own peculiar
characteristics, which have to be given
a great real of study from this stand?
point of sales demand?., which will af?
fect the companies' foreign manufactur
ing and sales requirements. To become
familiar with the needs of the coun?
tries in which American cars are to !?<?
marketed men must be sent out who
are capable of making an intima!?'
study of these special conditions in
every field, and to supply a car which
will meet these particular local require?
ments.
The American manufacturer finde
himself at this time face to face with
credit conditions which existed prior to
the war, at which time lon^ term rred
its were extended by foreign manu?
facturers, which the American manu?
facturer is adverse to extending on ac
count of the long established pree<
dents in regard to credits in the motor
industry. The American bunking in?
terests, however, are studying the for?
eign automobile credit situation, with
a view to establishing foreign cr?dita
ai3d acceptances, so that American in?
dustry will be able to compete with for?
eign manufacturers on even terms of
credit.
One of the most difficult problem?!
confronting the automobile manu
facturer at this time is the equitable
distribution of his production between
his domestic dealers, on the one hand,
and his foreign dealers, on the other,
particularly when the foreign dealers,
with cash in hand, storm the sales of
fices demanding cars far in excess of
his manufacturing facilities. In order
to maintain an equitable distribution of
the manufacturer's production it will
be necessary for the domestic dealer t?
supply himself during the winter
months with a stock of cars which will
make it possible for him to supply his
spring demand, at which time it will be
impossible for the manufacturer to
supply both the domestic and foreign
demands unless a reserve supply has
been accumulated by the domestic
dealer.
Greatest Shortage of Cars Is
Coming Soonv Says Jordan
Obstacles to Production Sure To Be Encountered
in Second Quarter of the Year
Contrary to all expectations of man?
ufacturers, dealers and the public, the
greatest shortage of motor cars which
has yet been experienced in the his?
tory of the industry is likely to develop
at the very time when cars will be
most hi demand. This is the prediction
of Edward S. Jordan, president of the
Jordan Motor Car Company, Inc., who,
since his return from Europe, has made
a survey of the American production
and sales situation in the interests of
his own organization.
"Six months ago it looked as though
the greatest difficulties in production
would be surmounted before the first
of the year, and the first six months
of 1920 would.find all' the factories in
the industry going at top speed. This
hope can never be realized. The chief
obstacles to production, created by the
steel strike, will be encountered in the -
second quarter of 1920.
"Th? production of steel at present
is hardly in excess of 50 per cent of
the capacity, and the manufacturers
are rapidly using up the excess over
and above production which they
found in the. reserve stocks which had
been accumulated in the various parts
of the country. These reserve stocks
have been obtained at a premium, and
they will be hardly sufficient to take
care of the first three months' produc?
tion.
"After that time we may expect to
have' even more difficulty in getting
steel, until the production schedules
of the steel plants are materially in?
creased. This means that ad increase
in production above the present manu?
facturing schedules must be accom?
plished in the first three months of th*
year by accumulating all available sup?
plies. jA
"Another ierioo$|handicap in filling
the motor car demand is the acute
shortage of plate glass. This shortage
is brought about by a diversity of
causes. The story of its importance
was related to Mr. Jordan by an official
of the largest glass producers in Amer?
ica while riding in a motor car over
the battlefields of France a month or
so ago.
" 'We never anticipated/ said this
man, 'what' a tremendous demand for
glass would develop after the war. Ir.
addition to the regular demand for
building purposes, the automobile in?
dustry, in response to the tremendous
car demand, has placed a burden upon
the glass producers which it will be im?
possible for them to meet for months
to come.
" 'Time was when we sold glass onlr
to windshield manufacturers, with only
a small quantity going to the makers
of closed cars.
" 'The introduction of the plate glass
in the rear of the top of nearly all
motor ears has created a demand which
is enormous, while the effort to meet
the demand for closed cars has abso?
lutely swamped the glassmakers.'
"Then, too, the labor unrest is bat
one symptom of the 'ease of nerv?M'
which afflicted the counlry and from
which we as a nation luve not fully
recovered.
"There are a number of other dif?
ficulties, among which might be men?
tioned the shortage in eioaed cat hard?
ware, which is produced in compara?
tively small quantities by only a few
companies; this factor, combined with
the coal strike, labor unrest, glass and
steel under production, makes it vitally
important to the dealer to accumul?t?'
all the cars he can in January and
February, and to the publie, who ex?
pect to have delivery before a-aaj fall,
to place orders at the New York Snow."