Motors

In 1900 a baby was born in Madison Square Garden, Manhattan. The public that went to see it felt much as Benjamin Franklin did when, to conceal his misgivings, he said to a French balloonist who had urged him to ascend, "Newborn infants are singularly uninteresting to me."

The Manhattan baby was the U. S. automobile industry, swaddled for its first show. The 31 cars exhibited came so far from filling the spacious Garden that an oval track was erected on the floor, around which the "horseless carriages" chug-chugged through their nursery paces to the mixed distrust and astonishment of gaping throngs. Up on the roof a demonstration "hill" was constructed, and here many an adventurous blood with money to spend had the ride that sold him his first motor car.

For most of those early makers, the show of 1900 was crucial. Money was scarce enough for their revolutionary schemes, and many a company went under to be heard from no more. Others booked enough orders to reappear at the second show, by which time the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers had been formed; and at the third show (1903) the exhibitors numbered 150, counting accessory-makers.

In 1907, two shows were held at the Garden. In 1909 there were 48 makes of cars on view. In 1911 there were 67, with many of the original makes still going strong-- as a few of them are today.

Last week the U. S. automotive industry, now worth three billion dollars, held its show again (TIME, Jan. 11). Stuffing bales of order-slips into its pockets, it shook hands with itself and prepared to move its shining, multi-colored wares from Manhattan to Chicago for the other big display that has become an annual custom.

The spectre that had raised its head two years ago to prognosticate a saturation point in motor-buying seemed to have been laid very effectively. Time-financing had been the chief weapon used, and conditions looked favorable for its continued use.

Not only were there many new models of familiar pleasure cars, there were two* new makes. There were evidences of factory expansion and a renewed emphasis on quality production at the same time. Only one price-cut was made a point of, and that by a firm (Dodge) into whose product there has never gone anything but high-grade material and workmanship. The Chevrolet Co. planned to spend half a million just on speeding up its distribution. Up and down the line, company presidents were in agreement with their compeer of Nash Motors: "In the automobile industry we look for a big year."

A very visible reflection of this feeling was to be found on ten consecutive pages of the Saturday Evening Post last week--an eleven page group advertisement for which $77,000 was paid by the Willys Overland Co. and eight companies furnishing standard accessories of that car. The display was said to be a record insertion, in price and size, for all time.

The foundation for optimism stands about thus on the books of the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce:

CARS

No. in the U. S. ......................................18,000,000

Annually scrapped ......................................1,800,000

Scrappers who replace ............................... 98%

Replacements annually (excluding trade-ins).............1,764,000

New buyers annually (based on population growth...........500,000

Trade-in buyers annually ............................... 1,750,000 (present average)

Total domestic buying ...................................4,014,000

1925 production ........................................ 3,833,000

Margin of underproduction (excluding exports)...............171,000

1925 value ................................................2 1/2 billions

TRUCKS

1925 production ...........................................492,000

1525 value .............................................500 millions

EXPORTS

Cars and Trucks, 1925 .....................................550,000

Increase over 1924 .......................................44%

World motor registration ............................. 24,600,000

U. S. motor registration ..............................20,000,000

Cars of world owned outside the U. S................... 19%

Attending the show in Manhattan, U. S. motor buyers (and many foreign visitors) looked about to see what they could get for their money nowadays. They noted that the average price of pleasure cars is $866; of trucks, $1,350. The farmer (who buys 30% of all motor vehicles) found that the average car today represents 506 bushels of wheat. In 1913 it represented 1,482 bushels.

The buyer of a pleasure car found, more specifically, that he could purchase transportation from the Ford, Star or Chevrolet companies for less than $600. For $1,000 or less he could own a car having four-wheel brakes, the latest type of body finish, balloon tires and a crankshaft with increased bearing surface. Cars in this class had, in general, higher-speed engines and faster pick-up for traffic driving. There was also the new Pontiac of the General Motors Co. introducing the principle of a slower speed and shorter stroke, to promote longevity of motor.

There were two new "line-eights" that the buyer could look at under $2,000--Diana and Jordan as well as new models of familiar eights in this class: Hupmobile, Oldsmobile, Elcar, Auburn and Rickenbacker. The later developing 100 h. p., was advertised as "fastest stock model exhibited this year"--90 miles an hour.

In the higher-priced divisions, a notable newcomer was Harry P. Chrysler's Imperial, a car for the great open spaces, developing 92 h. p., promising 80 m. p h. Cadillac had introduced new lines and a system of crankcase ventilation to keep water and carbon from the oil. The new low-chassis Stutz attracted much attention. The Franklin's new lines had already been seen on the road; it was again the only air-cooled car in the show.

*Pontiac, Ajax.