Secrets of the New Cars

Intimate Glimpses into Some of the New Models of Foreign and American Design

GEORGE W. SUTTON, Jr.

IT is almost impossible to point out the one high spot in a season of such intense motor activities as this. The year 1920 is destined to be motordom's greatest year, and this is especially true with reference to American cars. Of the 9,000,000 automobiles in the world approximately 7,500,000 of them are in the United States. European manufacturers are striving valiantly to produce cars in large quantities, but they are having a very difficult time of it, owing to strikes, lack of material and equipment and their unfamiliarity with methods of turning cars out by hundreds of thousands instead of individually. The American factories are producing cars in hitherto undreamed of numbers. The thirty-one automobile factories in Detroit alone are producing 5,000 cars a day. Indianapolis, Cleveland and other cities are coming forward rapidly as centers of automobile production. It is estimated that this year's production in this country will break all previ -ous records, and will total 2,250,000 passenger cars.

In spite of this tremendous output the American manufacturers are not going to satisfy the demand. At present they are 2,000,000 cars behind orders, and with the rest of the world crying for American cars it is a wonderful commentary on the integrity of the American makers to observe that tire cars they are turning out are good cars, better than those of previous years. Nowhere in the American automobile world is there evidence of work done shabbily in the rush to get cars to the clamoring public. With the situation as it is, it is remarkable to see so many advances in chassis and body construction as the past three months have witnessed. It used to be the fashion to buy a new car every year and turn the old one in for what it would bring. This is no longer true. The. new cars are being built for permanency, both mechanically and in body style. Radical designs are few and far between; most of the new models are built upon the principle of long, straight lines from front to back, and the buyer of a car to-day need have no fear that his machine will be out of style three years from now.

The tendency toward long, straight lines and bevel edges is noticeable not only in open cars, but in the limousine and sedan as well, and sometimes even in the cabriolet and other formal bodies. This idea is not new. Some models of the Mercedes were shown embodying this style as far back as 1912. This type of car style is pleasing to the eye and will last for quite a while.

Companies which in previous years turned out a great many different types of cars are concentrating this year on fewer models. But it is noticeable that the new cars arc better made than formerly. Engines and other parts of the chassis are more compact and built to closer limits. Bodies no longer have gaps which show careless workmanship and which soon create rattles and squeaks. The experience gained by many of the manufacturers during the war in building airplane engines is reflected in the new cars in the use of new alloys, lighter weight in construction and in a number of other ways. The six-cylinder car is in the majority, with the four close behind. There has been no increase in the number of twelve-cylinder cars, while only one prominent maker has come around to the eight - cylinder, namely, the new Lafayette. More of that anon. There is an increasing number of cars with overhead valves, although many prominent engineers still prefer the other types of motor. Among those favoring the overhead valve are the new National, the Buick, Chevrolet, Crow-Elkhart, Dort, Franklin, Haynes, Oakland, Oldsmobile, Olympian, Premier, Scripps-Booth, Stephens and Templar, while the new Cleveland, the Essex and Reo have one set of valves overhead and one on the side.

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While many of the American car makers are bringing out new models, very few of them contain features or changes of a radical nature. It is a significant fact that some of the greatest companies are continuing their former models, claiming that they already coincide with present day automobile styles. Among these might be mentioned the Packard, Hudson, Essex, Pierce-Arrow, Buick, Cadillac, Dodge, Cole, Franklin, Mercer and Stutz. Most of these are firms contenting themselves with minor refinements.

Among the cars on which more or less extensive changes have been made might be mentioned the American, Anderson, Biddle, Briscoe, Chalmers (in one model), Dorris, Elgin, Grant, Holmes, Hupmobile, Jordan, Lexington, Liberty, Marmon, Maxwell, Mitchell, National, Paige, Peerless, Premier, Reo, R. & V.-Knight, ScrippsBooth, Stanley Steamer, Saxon, Studebaker (in one model), Velie and Winton.

With a few exceptions the manufacturers seem to be concentrating on four types of bodies,— the touring car, the roadster, the coupe and the sedan. The closed car is increasing daily in popularity, on account of its practicability for all-year driving. Practically all of the new American cars are being built with left hand drive, while the foreign cars are almost unanimously of the right hand drive type. Personally,

I prefer a right hand drive, but evidently I am not in accord with the majority. Running boards seem to be disappearing gradually in favor of individual steps at each door. There is much to be said in favor of this change, since the running board is difficult to keep tidy and is conducive to rattles and squeaks. The modern cars seem to go in for lowness and increased length of both chassis and body. And all the engineering efforts of designers seem to be directed toward obtaining greater efficiency, more safety in operation and more quietness in running.

Much attention is being paid to spring suspension to offset the inequality of our roads, and much progress may be looked for along this line. Owing to discoveries made during the war many of the new engines are a great deal more powerful than their predecessors, with less weight and with no increase in size.

Carburetion is receiving a great deal of attention, and nearly all of the new cars are equipped with some sort of a device to heat the gasoline as it is being taken into the motor and to assist in the vaporization of the present day low grade of motor fuel. Another thing which is prevalent on the new cars is the use of adjustable radiator covers and shutters and thermostatic control of the cooling water to insure the desired temperature of the motor regardless of weather conditions.

Two of the most interesting items in the long list of recent motor events are the introduction of the new Lafayette car and the reappearance of the old Stevens-Duryea. The latter shows practically no changes in construction of chassis or body since its last appearance in 1914. It is a big, honest-looking car of the better class, and its re-incarnation is bound to be pleasing to many people who are familiar with its history and performance.

There is nothing radical about the new Lafayette. Backed by a company of tremendous financial resources, headed by Charles W. Nash, it is a car which is bound to meet with instantaneous favor by the motoring public. It is conservative in design, with no features which verge on the experimental. Its motor is a business-like, eight-cylinder V-type, designed by D. McCall White, who was the designer of the English Napier and Daimler and the eightcylinder Cadillac. The motor is designed to deliver 90 horsepower at 4000 revolutions per minute. Five body styles are being offered, with wheelbase of 132 inches. The hood of the Lafayette is high and massive looking, and fronted by a radiator shutter, which runs longitudinally in contrast to the usual method. The radiator is of original design, topped by a cameo bearing the likeness of the Marquis de Lafayette. On the hub caps is the Marquis' own monogram. One especially nice thing about the Lafayette is the instrument board, on which the instruments, instead of being scattered all over the dash, are concentrated in a small glass covered oval.

Another new car of more than passing interest is the R. & V.Knight. This was formerly the old MolineKnight, but there is nothing old about the new model. In the first place, it has a brand new motor, the only six-cylinder sleeve-valve Knight motor now being made in this country, the dimensions of which are 3½ by 4½. The wheelbase has been enlarged, and is now 127 inches, and among other changes it has semi-elliptic rear springs instead of the cross springs formerly used. The body is in keeping with modem long line ideas, and it has a snappy pointed radiator.

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The Briscoe Company has something this year which I have never seen before. This is a rear seat in its coupe, which faces sideways directly behind the driver. It is a very peculiar arrangement, and I can imagine that the new seat would be very comfortable for one person. This year the Briscoe has a unit power plant, its transmission having been moved up from the rear axle. This is the Briscoe's first year in producing closed models, a sedan also being part of the line. The wheelbase on all the models is now 109 inches, instead of 10S, as last year. The motor is a four-cylinder type, delivering 34 horsepower. A feature of the new Briscoe coupe, which is very pleasing, is the method of opening and closing the windows. In the average car this is done by a small handle which you have to wind around. In the Briscoe it is done by means of a rather long lever on the doors, enabling you to open or close the window with a single motion.

Those who were looking for a revolutionary new Marmon must have been disappointed, as the new car is very similar in appearance to its last year's model. However, great changes have taken place in the Marmon—changes which cannot help but improve this already well-thought of car. The most important new thing about the Marmon is its motor, with the same bore and stroke as last year, 3¾ by 5⅛. The new six-cylinder valve-in-the-head motor greatly surpasses the performance of its forebears, because it embodies principles developed by the company in its manufacture of airplane motors during the war. Its crank shaft is even larger than that employed in the 400 horsepower Liberty motor, and the valves are large but are light in weight. Aluminum is used extensively in this new Marmon motor. The body designs do not differ radically from previous models, but a great deal of attention has been given to new ideas in upholstery and fittings.

In the family of Studebakers there is a Light Six of entirely new design. It has 112-inch wheelbase with a 40horsepower six-cylinder motor, and the entire car weighs only 2400 pounds. There are plate glass oval windows in the rear of a distinctive gypsy top, and a set of bevel dimming headlights. Upholstery is of genuine leather, and both driver's compartment and tonneau have plenty of leg room. Inclined valve action, a new method of vaporizing gasoline and cord tires as standard equipment are other features of this new car.

In the new Mitchell the radiator is sloped back to allow of a cleaner passage through the air. Otherwise, the chassis is little changed from last year's model. Upholstery is of real leather, and the equipment of tools is carried in a pocket in the left front door.

A feature of the new Maxwell is the introduction of the hot spot and ram's horn intake, which have been used for some time on the Chalmers, made by the same company.

An entirely new model chassis has been brought out for the American balanced six, to go with its five types of bodies. The new chassis embodies a six-cylinder Herschell-Spillman motor of 3 ¼-inch bore by 5-inch stroke, which delivers 57 horsepower at 2000 revolutions. Another feature of the new American is a flexible nozzle grease gun which makes the filling of the grease cups an easy job. Laminated wooden disc wheels, made by Harry Atwood, a well known aviator, are extra equipment on the new American.

The new Lexington is a mighty interesting car, with many original and interesting features, the most important of which is the installation of what is termed vacuum two-way headlamps, which are extremely novel in principle. When running along a dark road alone the lights are cast ahead, lighting up the road directly in front of the car for a long distance. Upon the approach of another car a small switch on the dashboard -is touched which causes the reflectors themselves to be moved slightly to the side, thus throwing the light downward and outward, so that it will not shine into the eyes of the oncoming driver. In the new Lexington the running boards are molded directly to the frame, doing away with creaks and rattles of filling boards, and there is a double exhaust.

The new Dorris, one of the oldest makes in the country, seems to be % sturdy, substantial car, quite different in many of its features from any other car on the market. It has a full bearing overhead-valve motor, a very deep frame, and only eight grease cups on the entire chassis. An interesting new idea is the windshield, which is supported by a Y-section sidearm of marine bronze, to prevent rattling. The motor is of six-cylinder type and delivers 80 horsepower.

On the new models of the Liberty Six there are several new ideas, including the placing of the emergency brake on the propeller shaft, the vaporization of the gasoline through heating of the air drawn into the carburetor and by a further heating of the mixture in the manifold through contact with a stove, which is heated by the exhaust and an unusual compartment back of the front seat where side curtains plainly marked for the owner's convenience in putting them up are carried.

Chaotic conditions all over the country with regard to headlighting laws are responsible for the adoption on the new Hupp of headlights which can be turned to right or left with a variance of angle degree up or down. Dimmer coils of varying strength are also provided, as is a variety of lamp bulbs. This is to. protect the owner against violation of the lighting laws, no matter in what part of the country he may be.

Very striking in appearance is the newair-cooled Holmes car. But more important than appearance is the introduction of the new overhead valve engine of six cylinders and 18 valves. There are three valves to each cylinder,' all in the head. The dual exhaust valves! are actuated by one rocker arm, which is operated from the cam shaft by the usual type of valve lifter rod construction. The object of this development is, the obtaining of greater power through a better use of the fuel accomplished by a more rapid clearing of the dead gases, from the cylinders; a more flexible engine due to more complete ignition of the fuel and a quieter running engine. Many improvements in cooling have, been made in the new Holmes.

Even the Ford is appearing with new. improvements, embodied in the new. starting and lighting system, which has, added greatly to its popularity.

Among the newer cars the Noma in, two models, the foursome and speedster, are interesting. These bodies are built on the airplane principle of laminated| wood, covered with sheet linen. They, are equipped with six-cylinder, 30-horsepower Continental Red Seal motor. The windshields are equipped with independent bars to take the tops and the storage batteries are mounted on a platform directly under the tops of the hoods.

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An interesting little item in connection with the new and powerful Porter car is a thermometer which is inserted in the water-return manifold on top of the engine, and connects to an indicating instrument on the dashboard to show the temperature of the water leaving the cylinders. The Porter, which is a custom-built car, has a very powerful four-cylinder motor.

No article covering new cars would be complete without mention of the H. C. S., the latest product of Mr. Harry C. Stutz, designer of the Stutz automobile. The new H. C. S. is a very snappy looking car, on which Mr. Stutz claims to have saved 1000 pounds by shortening the wheelbase and the scientific employment of various metals. The new car is being built in six models, on a 120-inch wheelbase, with a Weidely bulldog type motor, designed and built especially for this car. The new motor is of four cylinders, valve-in-head type, 3⅝ inches bore by 5 ½ inches stroke and the new car is of left hand drive, with individual steps instead of running boards.

A very interesting new American car is the Wasp, which is built on airplane lines and contains many novel features. It has a Wisconsin four-cylinder 36horsepower motor, a massive looking aluminum hood, and a very unusual body, with pointed false ventilators in the hood, no louvres, big round headlights of the Rolls-Royce type, tiny sidelights inserted in the windshield and real Spanish leather seats. It is an open four-passenger speedster, and in the tonneau there is no metal or upholstery of any kind, the trim being in natural ash, with independent leather cushions. There is an ash molding running around the cowls.

Another newcomer with some unusual ideas is the Argonne Four. This custombuilt car has a four-cylinder 3¾ by 5⅛ motor of a type used in the old Mercedes and Austrian Daimler. A speed of 70 miles an hour is claimed for the car, which is a small, snappy roadster, with a pointed radiator, pointed headlamps, and pointed front mudguards. On the dash is a dial from a vacuumeter, showing the consumption of gasoline in miles per gallon. Another original touch in the Argonne is a small lever next to the emergency brake for operating the cut-out.

Now we come to the three most interesting items among the new cars— the Pic Pic, the Delage and the Fergus. These are all foreign cars which are now available in this country in very limited quantities. While American manufacturers have been giving their attention to standardization in the hope of catching up with the enormous demand for cars, some of the foreign designers have gone in for the development of radical new ideas, and these three cars are perfect examples of this tendency.

Probably the most interesting car in the country from an engineering standpoint is the Fergus, which was shown here in 1913, and which has been considerably changed since then. It has enough original features to occupy an entire article, among which might be mentioned its wonderful central lubricating system, which does away with all grease cups and which attends automatically to oiling every part of the chassis, aircooled brakes with cable brake controls, a horn which is operated by a small lever on the steering wheel, cantilever springs fore and aft inside of the frame, entire absence of a body sill, and a beautifully built stream line fan for cooling the motor. The motor itself is a compact block of six cylinders, delivering 80 horsepower at 3000 revolutions, and is of the overhead valve type. Its honeycomb radiator is made from solid nickel silver, not nickel plated, and the water cooling is controlled by a thermostat permanently adjusted to maintain the temperature at which the engine gives maximum power with minimum fuel consumption. It has Delco battery system, with automatic advance, and zenith duplex carburetor in combination with a specially designed exhaust heated manifold. The oiling is by high pressure pump. The car comes equipped with disteel detachable wheels, of special design, without exterior lugs. The Fergus originated in Ireland and has 126 inches wheelbase.

The Pic Pic is described by its makers as a conservative car, but its description shows it to be anything but that. The Pic Pic is an importation from France, with a motor of 8 cylinders delivering from 32 to 85 horsepower, and made by the Picard-Pictet Company, in the same factory which manufactured the Gnome Le Rhone aviation motor during the war. It has two sizes of chassis, one of 104-inch wheelbase, and the other of 149 inches, the latter being the longest car I know of. The motor is entirely valveless, with a unique characteristic in a single sleeve with two combined movements, one vertical and the other rotative. This arrangement is claimed to be entirely new. It has high tension magneto of the aviation type, and is equipped with a starting and lighting system independent of the ignition. Like many of the European cars it has brakes on all four wheels. It has often occurred to me to wonder why this method of braking is not incorporated in some of the American cars, as outside of certain costliness and difficulties in construction it is an excellent feature.

The Delage, also from France, is the epitome of originality in its general appearance. It has a six-cylinder engine in a single casting, and was the car used by the French General Staff during the war. It also brakes on all four wheels from one pedal.

There is great activity among the manufacturers of automobile accessories, and great progress is being made. During the next year or so we may look for many startling inventions of a revolutionary character in the development of car fittings. Probably the most interesting thing in this line seen around show time was an econometer, which seemed to be a highly accurate instrument for determining the miles traveled per gallon of gasoline.

Another very interesting device which may be heard from in the near future was a turbine drive, which is aimed to take the place of the clutch and to convert motor power into hydraulic energy, eliminating much of the waste of power which now takes place in all automobiles.

Encouraged by the obviously prosperous condition of the industry, a great many new automobile companies are appearing in every part of the country. This is a condition which has prevailed every year around show time and this year history will doubtless repeat itself. The strong companies will live and the weak ones will die. It is mostly a matter of financial backing. The motor car industry is no longer a place for wild cat concerns. However, even the companies which fail have their value, for many of them bring out new ideas which may last long after the firms have been forgotten and their founders have dropped out of the business world.