The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-11-20
latest THOMAS
CARS NEW NAME
ChalmerS-DetrOit Car Made By
Thomas Concern Is
Attractive.

A great deal of local interest is be-
ing taken in the new Chalmers Detroit
machines, several of which have APP
peared on the streets since the first
shipment arrived from the factory.
This car is another of the new-idea
four-eylinder touring cars for $500,
factory price. 1t is also the first time
that ears have been made under this
name. the new one of the machines
turned out at the Detroit-Thomas fac
tory.
The manufacturers of this car 60 so
far as to say that they are the real
pioneers in this movement, that they
have been working on the matter for
two years and that the Cadillac peo-
pie sprang their big advertisement last
June only because they had found out
what the Thomas people purposed do
ing. This is what the manufacturers
themselves say with regard to the car:
"This sensation of the year is not
) feally a new car. Our engineering de-
partment has worked for two years to
perfect it. Our vice president, H. E.
Coffin, has made two trips to Europe
for the purpose of studying foreign de-
velopment, so that he might embody
IN this ear the best ideas of the world.
Everything in the car has been design
ed in our own drafting rooms and test
ed in our own laboratory and shops.
Before the 800 was put on the market
three testing ears were driven over
10000 miles until our engineers had
satisfied themselves that every part
was right
"But the novelty lies in the idea of
a high-grade, four-cylinder, fve-pas-
senger ear at $500. The fact of such
car. at such a price, is as astounding
to us as to others. We did not dream
when We started. two years ago, that
a car of this class could ever be sold
at this price. And it never could
have been, save for the slump of last
fall. That gave us material for a two
years production at prices inconceiv-
able few months BEFORE
The ear itself certainly has a very
attractive appearance. 1t looks like
high-prieed ear, and the mechanism has
n simplicity beyond the average, if !
possible. in these days when all ears |!
are Gown to such a fine point that |
anybody can learn to run them in a |
very short time.
a Unlike some makers who have gone |
pack to progressive type of transmits
Dion, they have stayed by the selective |
TYPE. which they state is now recog- |
nized as the best among American and |
European hgh-priced cars.
With regard to the clutch, they have
useful innovation in that both clutch /
and brake are worked with one pedal |
and one movement of the foot. The
first pressure on the pedal throws out |
the clutch, which is of the multiple |
disc type, while a further pressure APP
plies the brake on the driving shaft.
This arrangement is especially conve-
nient in that it leaves the right foot
free to work the throttle, which, of
cOnrse. may also be operated on the
steering wheel by hand
One remarkable feature about the
birth and final marketing of this car
is that for long time Mr.. Coffin drove
one of them round with forty horse
power machine body on the chassis and
everybody thought it was a much high
er-prieed ear that he was driving.
When some of the experts found that
this was a ear that they were going
to put out at the low price they were
very much astonished.
There are many interesting features
20 the ear which are too many to be
enumerated here. But it must be said
that it has the general appearance and
finish of a very much higher-priced ear
and that the material seems to be in
every way of the highest grade. 1t
ruHs very smoothly and quietly, takes
comparatively little notice of hills. and
acts in every way like its three thou
Police Special Ali raided paikau