The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-02-11
CHICAGO AUTO SHOW
ENDS IN A REVEL
Blaze o. Glory Finish for the Big
Exhibition Of
Motors.

pAdAe OF glory anu an enormous at
tendance. It was the sixth annual
show given here and the greatest of
them all and the greatest ever held in
America. The total attendance WIS
more than 100000, which makes the
100000 attendance Of the New York
show appear Insignificant. More than
50, 000,000 worth of automobiles were
sold, record never sequalled by any
other similar exhibition in any country.
This evening was given over to mer-
rymaking participated in by the man
ufacturers, their statesmen and the
friends of both. The cafe in the base-
ment did the biggest business of the
week and champagne flowed like water
from night until morning. The first
class restaurants downtown were filled
with automobiles and their lady COM
panions, all in full dress and all with
seemingly unlimited amount Of money
to spend. Besides there were many
hilarious times at private homes, and
al around the evening marked an event
in American automobile circles that
will be remembered for a day at least.
An Educational Event.
The chow has demonstrated to the
people the latest styles in automobiles
and has been educational not only to
the. public but to the manufacturers.
It is to result in many innovations in
automobile construction, and it is GER
tain that the types of next season will
be radically different from the most
modern Of the present types, judging
from the improvements made during
Che last year.
Having accepted gasoline, steam and
electricity as the motive powers, the
makers have devoted recent efforts to
generating and applying these powers.
Their efforts have followed the lines
leading to simplicity of construction,
operation and control. The makers,
while they admit the probability of
| radical changes, believe that the gen.
eral lines on which cars now are being
made, are to be the permanent lines.
The changes from now on will consist
in simplifying the machines, increasing
their speed, power and reliability, and
at the same time decreasing the cost
The chief aim of the makers it seems
| is to create public condolences in the
automobile To the man, and even
more to the woman, who never tried tc
I operate a motor car the seeming multi
plicitv Of levers, wheels and cranks Is
| fcrbidding and the statesmen have
found it one Of their hardest tasks te
convince the possible buyer that the
thing really is much simpler than II
looks.
Limousine Cars Popular
Visitors to the 1906 Chicago Show
noted the limousine in greater numbers
and variation than ever before, REFER
1 ence to the automobile dictionary
shows that the limousine is the uppe
works of the closed car--the kind tina
looks SO comfortable to the pedestrian
q when the wind is blowing forty knot
an hour. The increased number Of tn
limousine machines, however, IS .sbu
one of the evidences of the tendenc.
to luxury in motor car constructor
The makers say the British and con
tinenta1 manufacturers were the hrs
to appreciate the beauties of the wild
i tcnneaus, wide door space and othe
|, features contributing not only to com
fort but to smartness. The show JUS
closed shows that since the 1905 exhl
bition the American makers have beel
copying foreign models, in this respect
: and every convenience for long-dls
/ lance touring is being provided.
5 Some of the cars shown at the Coli
9 scum looked almost as tho all the.
!. lacked was a Pullman porter and a but
! fet. And while special attention ha
+ been paid during the last year or tw
: to comfort and luxury in the BODIES, n
} less attention has been given to tn
Il q G. 4l,s4 frnY
springs. To get this result the spring
4 generally have been heightened, TO
f'easy riding springs are said to Pre-
! duce much more comfort into long-dis
, lance tours. ss.
Speed Consideration.
Speed continues to be first requisit
| in the construction Of nearly all classe
of motor cars. The buyer may be !:
staid gentleman Of business, totall
7 without the scorching instinct, bu
: when he buys an auto he wants one j
which he knows he can traveisat a Pre-
! digiously rapid rate eff he wants to.
: Therefore the makers are still seekln
g speed,
( If there was one question which wa
7 asked more than any other at the autt
mobile show it was this:
J Will the price of automobiles ever b
! down to the point where we, who car
| not afford the original outlay and Gu!
t rent cost Of maintenance Of automt
biles at present, can afford to own one
IF so when is that happy time to bes
+ Like a good many other question
& that the 81 outside 2 public asked. at th
4. show, the question was not easy to al
swer. Your automobile salesman doe
not dare to allow himself to be too 81
3 thusiastic over the material reductio
= in the near future, for to do SO Woul
]. be to place premium on delay in bu.
e ing. And, besides, he could not answe
/ the question if he wanted to.
!. The whole question of the futul
< price Of the auto, is vague. At prese1
!: the cost of an automobile is admitte
: by the manufacturers to be create
7 than the value of the material and Ii
" cost Of the direct labor, plus a ia
profit. But the manufactures does M
make more than a fair profit and man
! not that. The third element that hs
! determined the cost has been the @
: perimenting for Improvement and Il
Il racing necessary to keep the cars b
It fore the public.
- H.. L.. L L.