Detroit's Drive

Things were astir in Detroit last week. Businessmen lunching at the Recess Club were glad to forget the lambasting their favorite industry received during the first two months of the year. That U. S. automobile production had dropped 40% from the same period in 1931, that February's output had been 2,000 below January instead of showing the usual gain, did not worry them as much as it had. Their thoughts were on the present and future instead of the past. In the present was the industry's big spring sales drive, to be mightier than ever this year. In the future was what might happen to all industry if the drive should be as successful as Detroit hopes.

Motordom's big three were going into action. Henry Ford was preparing for actual shipments of his much publicized new models and showing the V-8 in 200 cities. General Motors started what it was pleased to call "perhaps the most gigantic program ever attempted by an industrial enterprise to stimulate business." Chrysler announced a new Plymouth described by Walter P. Chrysler as America's "more-for-the-dollar car."

General Motors' drive, commencing this week, consists of exhibits in 55 cities of its 150 automobiles and its other products (including vacuum cleaners, fans, water and lighting systems for farms). A total floor space of one million square feet will be used, one million dollars spent. Theme of the exhibition is "Work for Many Hands," to be symbolized by mammoth hands flanking the entrances, to be explained by exhibits showing how General Motors draws its raw materials from every State. Said G. M. President Alfred Pritchard Sloan Jr. of his exhibits last week: "This program was conceived . . . as an aggressive attack upon existing psychology--the prevailing attitude of mind of waiting for something to happen before anything is done."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.