Ford Music & Price

Many a bright British shilling landed in the tills of Albert Hall last week. Londoners who gathered there got more than their shilling's worth of fine music by a full, tail-coated orchestra, of plain & fancy singing by sopranos, mezzo-sopranos, coloratura-mezzo-sopranos, baritones, bassos. They also got, between numbers, a good view of what the concert's impresario, Henry Ford, had cannily got them there to see--his new "midget" automobile to compete with the little Austin and Morris.

The British Ford differs from the Austin and Morris by four inches of extra length. All are low, racy, big-doored, have slanting radiators, are smartly painted. Like Austin and Morris, the Ford is eight-horsepowered. Owners will pay -L-8 per year tax (based on horsepower), far less than the -L-16-to--L-24 tax on Model A Fords. Price for the sedan (cheapest model) is -L-120. Austin's sedan costs -L-118, Morris' -L-122. Fords, like Austins and Morrises, will run 35 miles on a gallon of petrol. In seeking to break into tax-ridden Britain's popular low-powered automobile field, American Ford planned to give Britain her share of the profits. Though last week's display models were made in the U. S., cars for sale will be built at the Ford plant at Dagenham, along with milk floats, fire engines, tractors, tappers, scrapers, diggers, lorries. London auto critics had only one objection to the new Ford: the petrol tank atop the engine. Neither Sir Herbert Austin nor Sir William Richard Morris had anything to say. For Henry Ford, King George had no knighthood.

In the U.S. last week, dealers, newspapers, automobile owners and manufacturers were far more interested in the new U. S. line announced last week (TIME,

Feb. 22). Models shown privately to dealers verified the announcement that the new chassis would carry either a four-cylinder or an eight-cylinder motor. Dealers were discussing reports that the new four would cost $388, the V-eight, $588, that a new financing plan would be put into effect through the Ford affiliate, Universal Credit Corp. Cars would be paid for, $100 down, the balance in 24 installments, instead of one-third down, the balance in twelve months, as at present. Buyers would be required to report monthly to dealers for examination of their cars until they were paid for, thereby boosting sales of parts. President Wallace R. Campbell of the Ford Motor Co. of Canada denied any such plan would be put into effect there. U. S. dealers received hundreds of orders for the new cars "if and when" put on the market. Motormen saw the industry taking an upturn. Henry Ford said nothing.

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