The Outlook for This Year's Motoring

A Perspective on Styles and New Cars on the Eve of the Chicago Shows

GEORGE W. SUTTON, Jr.

IT is a little difficult, after viewing several hundred new standard and custom-built cars, to detect any definite trend in style which was not visible all through 1921. Closed cars, for instance, are becoming more severe in colour tones and fittings. This applies equally to the economical machine made in huge quantities and to the expensive built-to-order car as well. In other words, the public seems to demand conservatism in its limousines, sedanlimousines, coupes and town cars. Fittings of bone or dull silver are in vogue, with a great decrease in the use of ornamental fixtures. Dome lights, reading lights, dictaphones, vanity cases and smoking sets have been reduced in size and conspicuousness to conform to the generally quiet atmosphere of the 1922 enclosed, car.

In sedans, however, and in touring cars and roadsters there is apparently more latitude. Some of the latter are so brilliant in their colour schemes and so spectacular in their lines and accessories that they seem to represent the last word in sportiness.

There is an increasing popularity for the fourpassenger sports car and most of those we have seen are done in extremely good taste. Their colours are lively, but there is an absence of glaring paints. These are the developments to be seen at the Chicago Salon and also the Automobile Show, January 28th to February 4th.

In standard and custom-built closed cars you will observe an increased use of foot cushions instead of the usual foot rails. One trend which is particularly noticeable is the installation of trunk racks and larger luggage compartments. Sun visors are being adopted universally on all types of closed cars because they fulfill a definite need. Individual aluminum steps seem to have adapted themselves only to the roadster and sporting touring car, with enough exceptions among enclosed cars to prove the rule. In the matter of lines of bodies and radiators there is practically nothing novel about this year's cars. They are gradually being made a little more graceful, but the straight line from front to rear which has been coming on gradually since the Paris Salon of 1913 is probably here to stay several years. Almost all of this year's cars employ it in conjunction with gentle curves of radiator, hood and rear section. Very few cars with flat planes and sharp angles will be seen at Chicago.

The season is notable for the return to the American market of several important foreign cars. In addition to those machines from England, France. Italy and Germany which were obtainable here last year, we now have the German Benz, the French Hispano-Suiza, the Italian Isotta-Fraschini and Spa. All of these made their appearance, or reappearance at the New York Salon, while the English Vauxhall was introduced at the National Show. Several other European machines of the better class will be placed before the American motoring public in the near future.

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The Isotta-Fraschini is featuring a chassis motivated by an eight-cylinderin-line engine, while the Spa goes to the other extreme with a small four-cylinder for which is claimed a gasoline economy of 25 to 35 miles per gallon. The Hispano has its new aviation type chassis of six cylinders with cable brakes and many ingenious features.

There is enormous activity in the bringing out of new makes of cars in this country. Two of the most interesting of these are the Falcon and the Jewett. The former is a carefully built little machine with a 4-cylinder motor, a wheelbase of 100 inches, a tread of 50 inches and the statement from its sponsors that it can make 60 miles an hour with its motor speeded up to 4,000 r.p.m. and can accomplish from 25 to 30 miles on a gallon of gasoline. The Jewett is the name given to an entirely new line of light cars to be produced by the makers of the Paige car. This is in keeping with the tendency of some of the manufacturers of heavier machines to add light models to their lines. The Cleveland, fostered by the Chandler, the Single Six Packard, and the Essex as a complement of the Hudson are examples.

Then there are the Bournonville, a new machine with a rotary valve motor; the new Hanson Little Six with 112 inches wheelbase, which is expected to sell for less than $1,000, thus making it the cheapest 6-cylinder car on the American market; the Coats steam car, the Gearless steamer, and the Adria, with a novel idea in spring suspension consisting of cross springs and non-load carrying axles and a chassis and body made in interchangeable sections, the whole thing suggestive of the Parenti, introduced last year.

Other new cars in contemplation are a new steam car made by the Detroit Steam Motot Corporation to sell for $1,000 or less; the new air-cooled light car on which General Motors is working, the Totem, to be built in Seattle with a very radical system of drive design; and a great quantity of others, including the Parker, the Paragon, the Birmingham, the. Metropolitan, the Corinthian, the Goodspeed, the Long, the Raleigh; the Shaw, a 4-cylinder machine to be ?old for between $700 and $800; the Driggs, which is already on the market; the Mercury, and a light car to be produced by the Automotive Corporation with a 4-cylinder air-cooled motor, a wheelbase of 91 inches and a weight of 900 pounds, to sell for $375.

It will be noted that most of these new cars are in the light weight, moderate priced class. That is the trend in this year's motoring, although there are enough new machines in the higher grades to please the most fastidious.

Some months ago we published an article mentioning the new makes of cars then appearing on the market for the first time. This was late last spring and already more than half of the cars mentioned then have passed on to oblivion. It is hoped that with improved conditions the new machines to be brought out this year will have better luck.

A great number of cars listed in all the motor columns last January have lapsed into a quiescent state. Some of these had been members of the motor fraternity for many years. We hear very little of the Bacon, the Beaver, Bush, California, Commodore, CraigHunt, Crawford, Curtis, Dragon, Geronimo, Globe, Hollier, Hylander, Jones, Kenworthy, Laurel, Lone Star, Madison, Marshall, Monitor, Moore, Norwalk, Pan, Rock Falls, Severin, Simplicity, Sterling, Texan, Tulsa, Vogue, Wasp, and Wolverine.

Among the most interesting of the many models of standard cars are those of the Roamer. The new sedan shown with this article is quite different in appearance from any other car on the market, while the new Roamer raceabout, with a new Duesenberg engine and a wheelbase of 106 inches is about as near to a racing car in appearance and characteristics as a standard passenger car could be. The Kelsey Company is bringing out a new 4-cylinder friction drive car of 112-inch wheelbase to sell for less than $1,000. The Nash Six, Cole, Durant Six, the Earl, the Grant, Essex, and Handley Knight, are only a few of the American standard cars which are appearing in new and interesting models.

The custom body makers are fairly outdoing themselves this year in producing cars which are the last word in luxury of style and equipment. Among those I have seen recently are several which are deserving of special mention. For instance, there is a new little cabriolet built by Brooks-Ostruk on a Minerva chassis for Miss Marilyn Miller, which is a symphony in grey without a discordant note. We shall have more to say about this car in a future number. Another Minerva, by the same builders, is for Billie Burke. It is considerably more spectacular, with a jade green body, polished aluminumn cowl, hood and radiator, grey leather roof and deep brown interior upholstery with wonderfully soft cobbler seats.

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Most interesting, aTso, is a Stevens Duryea sedan-limousine by Healey and Company with dark brown exterior and interior colour tones, a beam ceiling, Circassian walnut trim, individual arm rest dividing the seats and a hidden compartment in the arm containing vanity case and other conveniences, four side reading lights and foot cushions. There is a Daniels sedan-limousine with blue exterior, and blue upholstered seats with grey leather backs, side walls, ceiling and driver's compartment, very ornate blue and mahogany doors and mahogany panels concealing the auxiliary seats. Another Daniels is a cabriolet with exterior completely in black, without striping, and the interior done entirely in salmon colour.

Locke and Company is sticking to the conservative styles for which this company has become famous. Its town cars on Mercedes, Stevens Duryea, Fergus and Locomobile chassis, are all in somber shades with whipcord or broadcloth in unobtrusive tans and greys for upholstery, and bone fittings.

Clarke D. Pease is exhibiting some Packard chassis on which he has done considerable work in installing his own mechanical, ideas and some bodies which have a number of most unusual features. A big green touring car, for instance, has a specially-planned niche in the tonneau concealing two hand-made leather bags, one fitted for travelling, the other containing complete luncheon set in non-rusting metal. On the rear is a movable green leather trunk of unusual design containing two specially made suit cases. Automatic lubrication, a special arrangement of the dashboard and gear shift lever and lengthened wheelbase are other features.

The Walter M. Murphy Company, of Pasadena, California, has brought east some bodies, on Lincoln chassis, which are attracting much attention on account of their novel design and colour schemes.

There is considerable agitation just now in the matter of automobile nomenclature. A number of authorities have brought out lists of names by which various motor car types should be called. Practically all of the lists disagree radically, so there is as much confusion as ever in the naming of cars. The latest list is that of the Society of Automotive Engineers, which includes most of the representative standard body engineers. They contemplate two names which it is going to be very difficult to get the industry or the public to adopt—"berline" and "phaeton." The former is the term suggested for the type of sedan which has a movable window behind the driver's seat, and the name is brought out again because this car so nearly reflects the old berline limousine, with two separate compartments. This term "berline" was dropped early in the war by all manufacturers and to-day there are at least fifteen names used to indicate this type of car. The most popular is "sedanlimousine," which is rapidly coming into universal use, but is an awkward term, at best. The word "suburban" has its followers, while other makers call the car a "double enclosed drive," "sporting limousine," "tourosine," and so on. "Berline" is a graceful, suitable term, but it is extremely doubtful if it will be adopted.

The term "phaeton" is suggested as a substitute for "touring car," because so many people go touring in sedans and other types of cars. Many firms have adopted "phaeton" for their smaller touring cars, in cases where they build two sizes. The motoring public is not yet willing to look upon touring cars as phaetons.