New-York tribune. [volume], January 04, 1920, Page 3, Image 81

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

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Iiight Weight, for
Its Own Sake, Is
To Be Avoided
Decreased Weight Hiat j
Lessens Comfort or Cms!
Durability Is a False
Ideal, Says C. W. Blears j
L
By C. W. Atoare
TK? Winton Cempemy
Should motor cars .?Mi leaa? If so.
what present quality in J. our ear would
vou be willing to sacrifice in order to
Lt the lighter weight? Safety? Dura?
bility* The comfort of easy riding?
that's precisely th* Question that
every discussion of weights leads to.
Because weight is not * sepsrate, un?
related element in raptor car making.
Weight is not so many bags of sand
that you can put inte or take out of a
jar whenever yon fancy to make a
change. _.___..
Instead, motor car weight is the total
accumulation r presented by a few
ounces in a b It, a few pounds in
wheels. more P '*'?'?** iB ax'es and still
more pounds r \ -notor. Every single
piece of meta * .od. rubber, leather,
hair and gl**> l**t goes into a car
adds to the r weight. Necessarily,
then, when Ite? is charged with
making a c? ??' is too heavy he is
eharged wit, ing more material
into his car t te should.
Does anybt .?eve that?
The idea i fair.
It is nnfan c use it does not do
justice t? ' lobile engineering,
which seriaos nd scientifically at?
tacks ?very P era of motor design
and construct; and constantly seeks
ae best awl est answer.
A wates m be light. A sewing
machine ??y ' light. An electric fan
in your afte. nay be light. But an
automobil* i? aot a watch, a sewing
machine **f. electric fan. It is a
road vebicitS, t.iat must carry precious
hnmaa ?wi i, and therefore first of
all ft a-mat^be safe. And how safe
would it be if its frame were of pine
and Ha wheels of bamboo?
y?____erm?re. the motor car is not a
stationary thing: it must travel. In
trsvetiag it must sometimes go fast,
iHlMililBMii climb hills. That requires
ample fewer, which in turn demands
BtJ. aw electric-fan motor but an en
Liberty Plant Must
Be Enlarged Again
Increased Demand for Cars
Keeps Ahead of Workers
on New Factory
The completion of the new plant
of the Liberty Motor Car Company
concludes an event that is noteworthy
even In an industry replete with ex?
ceptional happenings.
When, construction of this plant
began it was the intention to push the
work with all possible speed consistent
with good workmanship. Strikes and
material, and labor shortage aggra?
vated the ordinary looked for troubles,
but in spite of everything the plant
was actually finished, and is now turn?
ing out Liberty cars, in a little over
Tour months after work began.
The same unmistakable demand for
Liberty cars which prompted, the
building of this plant is still in
evidence, as is shown by the fact that,
since its completion Percy Owen, pres?
ident of the company, has announced i
that an additional twelve acres of ad- |
joining factory ground have been se?
cured, making twenty-four acres now
available for the present plant and
necessary extensions.
Gasoline Is Not
Just "Gas"; It Is
Widely Variable
Marmon Tests Show That
Even in Same Sections
Fuel Hasn't the Identical
Characteristics
When the Nordyke and Marmon Com?
pany began to experiment and test out
the engines for the new series Marmon
34 it was confronted with the problem
of gasoline and the grades, qualities
and varieties of this fuel now obtain?
able. A special carburetor and water
iacketed intake manifold were designed
for the engine. To make 'sure that
these were backed up well a hot ring
superheated by exhaust was added in
order to overcome the so-called low
grade motor fuel of the day.
Realizing that gasoline might be one
thing in Indiana, and a totally different
There are two sizes of Westcott ?cars this season. The larger model is illas?
trated here. The other is the "lighter six."
gine of 20, 30, 40 or 50 horsepower, as
the case may be. And the more power
you need to get out of a motor the
heavier that motor must be.
Then, viso, if you want your car to
en.i-.re, :j withstand the shocks of
travel and the wear of moving parts,
the entire mechanism must have a large
actor o: safety, and vour moving parts
must be provided with liberal surfaces
?ail of which means weight.
Ride in ? a seven-passenger car in
which the pnss.ngers are huddled to?
gether in close space due to a short
wheel base. Then ride in a seven
passenger car whose passengers have
the ample room allowed by a long
wheel base. The difference will be
marked. The short wheel base car will
be choppy in its action, while the long
wheel base car will ride smoothly. A
long wheel base means more weight
than a short wheel base. Hence to
save weight by shortening a wheel base
Is simply a method of cutting down
passenger comfort.
So instead of aiming at light weight,
let's give credit where credit is due.
?Just as a light boat is tossed by the
waves .while a big vessel cuts through
them, so it will be found among motor
cars that a "light car jumps and bounds
whereas a large car absorbs the uneven
surface cf the road in its springs, the
body riding comfortably.
The less shaking a car suffers the
longer it wiil endure. The more stable
a ear is the safer it is to ride in. And
tfce more evenly a car rides the more
delightful it is to own and to use.
Safety, durability and comfort are
vital in a car owner's welfare. De?
creased weight that lessens the owner's
safety or comfort or reduces his car's
durability is a false ideal and needs to
he carefully avoided.
Holmes Bodies Unusual
Molding From Stem to Stern,
Is Mark of the Line
In the new bodies shown on the
Holmes improved air-cooled cars this
year thsre is a refinement of the con?
ventional type of design. Starting at
'?he ?weeping front of the hood, in
*bich a fine metal grill 'takes the place
of the usual radiator, the development
of the bodies is in easy planes, without
break.
The tooiing car shows an adaptation
3 "J bomontal moid, introduced by
tIIa meH c*r in th? four-passenger
oaaster Th:a molding runs from the
"ont of the hood to the rear of the
?* just beiow the bod/ rail. The
??ven-passenger ??dan model also i?
5?^?emed by the molding below
&*%?biiar exuo*n*the fu"
The four-pasaenger roadater is the
we onusuaj development in design,
'?ere i? sufficient room in both front
?g? re*r ***t9 to accommodate three
??**???*, g?v:ng a six-paasenger car
^'?S capacity when desired.
Case Brings Out
thing in Ohio or New York or Cali?
fornia, gasoline was obtained from deal?
ers in several regions or districts of
the country.
From each section four different
' samples of gasoline were obtained and
I submitted to tests. The specific grav?
ity test was applied to each gallon of"
gasoline, also the Beaume gravity test.
The weight was recorded, the initial
, boiling point and the "end point," or
temperacure at which the gasoline is
! almost entirely distilled.
In the specific gravity and Beaume
j gravity tests large variations were
i found. Even the weight of the samples
i varied from 6.13 pounds to the gallon
i up to 6.39. The tests, however, that
I showed widest variations are the points
! at which these various gasolines will
boil and the rapidity and degree to
j which the gasoline can be distilled.
j Every one knows, of course, that gaso
I !ine is not a real fuel for an internal
! combustion engine until it is vapor
; ized. It is obvious that gasoline which
I is not easily vaporized yields a power
', output that is less flexible, and conse?
quently the motor does not start easily,
! ac-e'.erate or throttle down efficiently.
The tests showed that there was a
variation in the temperature at which
I the gasoline would boil, varying from
; 115 degrees Fahrenheit up to 150 de
| grees. The "end point of distillation,"
j or the temperature at which 95 per
i cent or more of the gasoline is dis
; tilled or vaporized, varied even more
| greatly among different samples. The
I tests showed that there was a variation
I of 100 degrees. In other words, 05 per
; cent of one gasoline sample can be
distilled and vaporized at approxi?
mately 340 degrees Fahrenheit, while
other samples require 440 degrees of
I heat before this can be accomplished.
The tabulated figures show that it is
1 difficult to establish one carburetor
; setting whjr?i will yield equal perform
; anee in all parts of the country. The
tests, however, have helped the Marmon
engineers to establish an average set
f ting which efficiently meets the abnor?
mally uneven grades of gasoline on the
market. In some sections of the coun?
try it was found that the samples vary
; widely. In one Western section 95
; per cent of a certain kind of gasoline
was distilled at 338 degrees, while an?
other sample required 386 degrees to
accomplish the same result.
Two-Piece Piston Is
Marmon Engine Feature
Among points of interest in the new
Marmon 34 is the two-piece piston. The
central and top portions of this piston
are of aluminum. Th? skirt, which fits
around all but the top and head of the
piston, is of gray iron. The insert pin
is entirely inclosed by the iron skirt,
so there is no possibility of scarring
the cylinder. This combination of
metals gives the piston the advantage
o the elimination of carbonizing, with
the clone, accurate fit that has been
the unique feature of the iron pistons.
This part conform? to the light weight
requirements of the new order of
motor construction.
Fine Looking Car
'1Z2?*??'&"L ****** ?*?UI dispUy?! is on* of th* new Uns of cuts
"??? *f ?*? Cas* CMS9MJT. OiMinctiv.. body typ?. ?a** ?h? Ifa?.
Market Looms
Large in 1920,
Voorhk Reports
No Reason to Expect Change
in Conditions; Demand
Still Ahead of Produc?
tion of Cars
Indications point to a continuance of
over-demand for passenger automobiles
for the 1920 season, according to
Charles B. Voorhis, general sales man?
ager of- the Nash Motors Company.
"The demand for passenger cars during
the season just closed was almost with?
out parallel in the history of the auto?
motive industry," said Mr. Voorbis,
"and, although I believe there will be
some relief this year, I do not think
it will .be possible for the manufac?
turer to catch up fully with the de?
mand.
"A glance at figures showing state
registrations of automobiles for the
first six months period of 1919 discloses
some interesting information. The total ;
registration, including passenger cars j
and trucks, is 6,353,253, a gain of 407,- '
1
Mr. Voor his. .
791 or 6.85 per cent, for the period.
And up to that time automobile manu?
facturers had not been able to get back
to anything like normal production.
"The figures indicate^ al.:o that the j
Southern _tate_ lead in the increase. |
but this is due in large measure to the !
fact that the South absorbs a large part ?
of winter shipments, owing to their ;
early season, so that shipments during !
the last six months' period, no doubt, I
equalize this situation to a large extent. !
"It is of course rather a difficult mat- ?
ter accurately to -forecast motor car ?
j production at a time like the present.
Granting that the labor and material
'? market, including steel and lumber, are
stabilized, we still have the buying mar?
ket to consider.
"Assuming that manufacturing con?
ditions will permit of a general in?
crease in production, we find through?
out almost every section of the coun?
try an abnormal demand for automo?
biles. This is due to - the fact that
money is plentiful and that in spite
cf high prices we are riding on a wave
of prosperity.
"When the farmer has money his
prosperity is automatically passed on
i to th city merchant and thence to the
| mills and factories. And the American
? farmer never faced a better provision
? market than in the last two years.
Agricultural conditions are excellent.
"Thus the farmer in the last twelve
| months has1 been an automobile buyer
to a greater extent than ever before,
and the city merchant, though high
prices and salaries have made it nec
. essary to increase his working capital,
has enjoyed a large measure of pros
i perity. He, too, has been a large buyer
j of passenger automobiles.
"Wage? generally are higher in fac?
tories and stores throughout the coun?
try, and in many rnstances workers
have found themselves in a positior
to enjoy the pleasure of automobile
driving. Thus, taken all in all, th?
market for passenger automobiles has
been considerably extended, and I an
of the opinion there will be no ap
preciable curtailment In this extendec
market during the next twelve months
There appears to be nothing on th?
horizon at the present moment tha
betokens a radical change in condi
tions."
?Distinct Body
Types Four Only,
Says Schmunk
|
| Old Styles Modified to Meet
New Conditions Are Iden?
tified by Veteran of Peer?
less Motor Company
?""To one who has attended the great
I national automobile shows year after
j year," says R. J- Schmunk, general
! sales manager of the Peerless Motor
i Car Company, ".t is intensely interest
| ing to note the development of the va
j rious t-< pes of motor car bodies.
"In the very early days -say, twenty
? years ago?motor car driving was some
, thing oi' a sporting proposition and he
, who sought protection from the weath
: er while motoring was considered more
I or less of a mollycoddle. As the real
' value of the motcr car became appar
: ent the sporting features began to dis
| appear and greater comfort was sought.
; Nowadays the car that doesn't provide
| convenience, protection and, above all.
| great comfort falls short of what the
? public expects from it.
"If you will analyze closely you will
1 gee that there are practically only four
; distinctive body types. There is the
' touring car, or large capacity open type,
? usually seating seven passengers. Ex
Mr. Schmunk.
cept as to modified body lines, this car
is practically as it was built in the be
< ginning. Then we have the smaller
. capacity open car, as exemplified in the
! new Peerless four-door, four-seater.
In the early days we called this type
. of car a close-coupled or pony tonneau.
"In the inclosed types we have the
i small capacity car, or the coup?, and
? the seven-seater, or the sedan. A fifth
| type is the inclosed drive, inclosed
! car, now known as the sedan-limousine,
j or the vestibuled sedan, which is noth
: ing more or less than the Berline of
j the early days, with the single exeep
i tion that the body is now built as a
| ins compartment and passenger eos? *
I peUXtmmm? ?c?c Ue^-fc..?.? i^ ^|HI1ii>t as"
i separate units.
'Permanent top touring cars era be-:
; ginning to ?come into vogue, but eves4
i here we heve nothing aew. Years and
i years ago we built a very similar type
i and called it a demi-limousiae. so ye?
j see there is really nothing new eve?
; in motor cars. Certainly, we have ad
| vanced greatly in point of design,
beauty and convenience, but funds-/
! mental requirements for large ?capacity
I end small ?capacity cars are practically
as we found them when w'j began the
? industry, years and years ego.
"The demand for the inclosed car it
j growing by leaps end bounds. Prscti
j cally half the Peerless output is now
| produced in the inclosed types. Clever
designing and skillful workmar.ship
have enabled the Peerless company to
j produce inclosed ?cars that are o my *,
j little heavier than the open types. But
they are even more comfortable and
luxurious than the limousins of the
early days, which more closely follows* ,
; the practice of the horse-drawn coach?
; makers."
Using the Emergency
The gear lever and the emergency ,
' brake lever on the new series Marmon
31 at the Grand Central Palace are just
I under the right side of the steering
j wheel. The hand drops naturally to
! the brake end operates it on second
[ thought. It is good practice ?to use
i this hand brake occasionally instead of
| the service brake all the time. Then;
I when the tense moment comes, presto?
i both brakes have been applied and the*"
car obeys.
Do You Know That Hudson
Builds the Essex?
__
But Through Sheer Merit Alone Essex
Made Its Thirty Million Dollar Sales Record
. Come See the Essex Special Show
in Our Salesrooms
Not to be Exhibited at the Automobile Show
Essex success has not been accidental. No one
doubts its right to the position it holds.
On the Cincinnati Speedway a stock chassis Essex
set the world 50-hour endurance mark, of 3037 miles,
under American Automobile Association supervision.
Another stock Essex holds the unequalled 24-hour road
mark of 1061 miles.
But how many know why Essex in its first year
revealed qualities more mature, more evident of the
influence of long experience, than is commonly found
in cars even in their third and fourth year.
You will recall the Essex was announced one year
ago without one word as to the identity of it3 builders.
Not a claim was made for its performance.
You were asked to go look at it, take a ride and form
your own opinion. The Essex, we said, would have
to speak for itself.
Now that it has established itself, we reveal why
Essex has all the qualities of cars of long development
Was Designed by
Hudson Engineers
They conceived it as they developed the Super-Six.
All they learned about endurance, they incorporated
in the Essex.
They gave to the Essex the power that has made it
famous in all quarters. Its speed is the result of what
had been learned in making the Super-Six winner of
all worth while speed records.
The Essex can never be all that the Super-Six is for
they are totally different types.
But the Essex does bring quality and performance
to a class field that was unknown.
The former owners of large costly cars that have
adopted the Essex have not been Hudson users. They
have come from other cars, cars that fall short of the
Super-Six in all particuliers save size and cost.
The Essex appeals to such users because of its nimble
ness. They like the way its performance compares
with that of the Super-Six. You can see this on every
hand. The two cars in any community that are most
prominent because of their performance ability are the
Hudson Super-Six and the Essex.
Essex Did fjfot Need
Hudson's Endorsement
Think of the advantages Essex has had. What
ordinarily would have required years to perfect was
made possible in ?the very first model.
That is why 20,000 are now running, why more than
$30,000,000.00 was paid for Essex cars in ten months.
You have not needed the Hudson endorsement to
understand Essex performance.
Essex has won its own way. Hudson gave it full
benefit of the experience of its engineers and the ability
of its manufacturing organization. Its name was not
needed.
Now Hudson takes the same pride in acknowledging
its kinship to Essex that a father might in speaking of
his son who on his own account had made good.
HUDSON MOTOR CAR COMPANY OF. NEW YORK, Inc.
NEWARK, N.
WHITE PLAINS,
886 Broad Street
186-188 Martine Avena?
Broadway at 61st Street, Circle Building
PLAINFIELD, X. J., 190-192 East Front St. NElty ROCHELLE, N. Y.. 567 Main St.
HUDSON AND ESSEX DEALERS
lUng-i-on, N. Y,
Cla-t-r. N. J.
Rm__-.11? Center,
Freehold N. J.
O-slninST, ?. T.
Ht? m ford, Conn.
P_ter-on, N. J.
L. ?.
. . Peter A. Black. 8 Main Street
? ... ? * Cotitner & Browne
. . Gardner Garage _L- Motor Co.
Harrr D. Hanee, 18 Co-irt Street,
Wm. C. Holden. Inc., 8 Sprin?: Street
Bud-on Motor Snl__ Co., 564 Main Street
Kennedy Motor Cor Co., 212 I*_t.r_on Street
Tompkin-ville. S. I. .
Pouirhkeepsie. N. Y.
Morris-own, N. J .
It.?mar. N. J.
Libertr, N. Y.
Pan. aie, N. J. . R.
Hacken.ack, N. J
John D. Killian Auto Co.. 197 Bay Street
Ward S. Lent, 440 Alain Street
Wm. D. Marshal!. Flat Iron Bids.
O. H. Newman, 7C8 F Street
E. H. Nichols, 21 School Street
B. Potter Auto Co., Inc., 200 Jefferson Street
R. B. Potter Auto Co., Inc., 20 Bant* Place
Boonton, N. J.C. R. Tucker
Middletown. N. Y.
Brewster. N. Y.
Perth ?mbar. N. J.
N'ewburch. N. Y. .
Suffern, V. Y.
Stony Brook, L. I.
Seabrigrht, N. J.
BROOKLYN, N. Y., 1422 B?dford At*.
BRONX, N. Y. . . 2460 Grand Cwmim
Howard D. Rockefeller, 2 Railroad Arana?
.Schneid?-- & Son
C. A. Sexton, 15 Smith Street
81a? * ft Clapper, lac.
Suffers Auto Sales ft B-_____???
.? r. Well?
H. L. Zob-1, Ocean Arena?