Idle Motor Gossip

Fragmentary Thoughts of the Automobile World and a Few Predictions Regarding the Future

GEORGE W. SUTTON, Jr.

IT seems that late spring or early summer, which ever this may be, is a good time to check up on some of the predictions w h i c h we have been rash enough to make in these columns during the past six or eight months. Gazing at these prophecies in perspective, it seems that our batting average has been fairly good but nothing to brag about. Such is the life of a prophet. However, some of the forecasts still have a chance of coming true.

We thought, for instance, in February that there would be great expansion of the idea introduced by Essex, Dort and Nash in the production of comfortable, closed cars at prices very little higher than those asked for the open models. If we are not mistaken, we suggested that there would be thirty or forty of these soft topped machines of different makes on the market within six months. To date there has been one new one—Hudson Coach. It is certain that the demand for closed cars is growing and, since there are two months left of the time limit we set, there is still a chance of the appearance of more of these practical, comfortable cars. But thirty or forty was, evidently, a bad guess.

Following the debut of a number of smaller, lighter, 6-cylinder machines by Columbia, Moon, Hanson and Jewett, which is a little brother of the Paige, we ventured to proclaim that this was the beginning of more or less of a deluge of "thousand dollar sixes." Nothing has happened since to verify that opinion.

It was easy to predict last August that there would be a wave of price cutting around Show time in January and immediately thereafter. It turned out to be a tidal wave. Since January first, eighty-two of the 123 active or semiactive automobile companies have reduced prices on their products. This wave has not yet fully receded. During the week in which this is being written, King, Marmon, Stephens, Kissel, Chalmers and Brewster have made further price cuts and there may be some more.

In spite of this condition, we hereby declare that automobile prices are going to go up within the next six to nine months. This opinion is not ours alone, but is shared by the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce and a majority of the automobile manufacturers and parts makers. In fact, it is the latter who will have the most to do with it. The manufacturers of the many units which go into the construction of a modern motor car have had a couple of lean years. They have had to slice prices to the bone in order to do business at all. In the new prosperity which has come to the automotive industry (and April was the biggest month in its entire history with a production of 213,000 cars), the parts makers are dead set on returning to the enjoyment of normal profits. No one can blame them for this desire, but it is going to be one of the factors in sending prices up between now and next January.

There are several other matters on which it is possible to predicate some interesting guesswork. One of these has to do with automobile styles. Next year's standard stock cars will reveal very little change from the present combination of long lines and gentle curves which is prevalent in almost all makes, except that lines, especially hood lines, will be longer in order to give the 1923 standard cars the appearance of greater speed. The custom built cars for the coming year will include a number of new attempts at the streamline effect. By this is meant that their bodies will be so shaped as to present less wind resistance and greater ease of passage through the air. A car with a straight up and down back—which most of our cars have— does not allow the air to close gradually after it when it is in motion, but creates an air pocket, the suction of which has a retarding influence on the car. The astonishing Rumpler Raindrop car, to be shown next month, is an example of the work which can be done in this direction, although the idea itself is not new.

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It is possible now to anticipate some of the prominent features of next January's newspaper headlines. Charles W. Nash, who has just consummated a deal combining the Lafayette and Pierce-Arrow companies, should be a very large figure in the motor world by showtime, with his complete line of automotive vehicles in practically all the price classes. Clement Studebaker, Jr., should have made considerable progress by that time with the new and important company he is heading to introduce the Zeder car. W. C. Durant should also be going great guns, not only with his own four and six cylinder Durant models, but with the little Star car with which the people, for whom he is building and marketing it, hope to bring Henry Ford down from his lofty motor pedestal.

By the end of the year we should be hearing much of the forthcoming appearance in quantities of the new 4-cylinder Franklin air-cooled product, and the Rickenbacker will have had plenty of time to establish itself in public favor. Walter B. Chrysler, who has recently resigned from the WiliysOverland Company, and is at present giving most of his attention to Chalmers' affairs, may, within the coming months, branch out into something new, large and interesting.

In the meantime, gasoline is going up, car prices are still coming down, and motor camping is becoming the most popular sport in the world.

Since the automobile shows there has not been brought out one startling innovation in standard body styles. However, there have been a few new models which are exceedingly good to look upon and exceedingly pleasant to drive. Among these might be mentioned the new Packard 6-cylinder models on two sizes of wheel base, the Cole 2-passenger coupe, the Liberty special roadster, the new model "40" Wintons, the Lexington Series "22" 5-passenger touring car with Ansted motor, the Durant 4-cylinder roadster, the new Sterling models of the "Standard Eight," and the new Oldsmobile touring car. An interesting new mechanical development has been the appearance of the new Stutz engine, which after severe tests on the Indianapolis Speedway, is claimed to develop 65% more power than the sturdy old Stutz of former years, 40% more speed, 20% better fuel economy and 90% better acceleration.

Perhaps because they are less hampered by quantity production methods, the European makers are more likely than the American to try out new engineering features. There has been a drift in the last years among the finer European cars toward the use of over-head cam shafts, motors with eight cylinders set in a row, and brakes on all four wheels. Undaunted by our failure of 100% success as a prophet, we will venture the opinion that the American manufacturers will follow this over-seas lead in at least one of these features—the use of four wheel brakes.

The facility of controlling both in heavy traffic and country driving that is given by braking on four wheels is very marked. Experienced motorists are always astonished by their first ride in a car so equipped, for it may be stopped in approximately half the distance usually required, and the tendency to skid when stopping suddenly is reduced to minimum.

The American motorist may well accept European practice in another matter; in fact it may be said the more discriminating of our motor car buyers are already doing so. A small car with comparatively short wheel base, a small high-speed motor and narrow turning radius has long been the European favorite for town use. Here, however, distinction in town cars has been judged, largely, in direct proportion to wheel base. At last we seem to be recognizing the unavailability of most large road cars for work in town, it is increasingly common to see men driving a heavy roadster or touring sedan on the road and using a small enclosed car for town.