The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1908-02-11
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By COLGATE HOYT,
President Automobile Club of America.

Nc. commercial industry ever established in Amer-
ca has earned the widespread popularity, coupled with
LM such enormous financial returns, a. the automobile
w. business. Although the industry from a legitimate
49, manufacturing standpoint is less than ten years old,
~ America has now passed her rivals in the old country,
(1EN and more motor vehicles are now made in the United
NW States than in any other country. Definite statistics
NTH are hard 10 obtain, but the department of commerce
and labor, which lately made al exhaustive report up
on the progress of the American automobile, placed
the output of all motor machines in the United
States for the existing year at 10000, 5000 in excess of the production of
France, which has previously led the world in this modern industry.
England is credited with building $4,000 automobiles. Germany in 1906
produced $4,000 cars, Italy 10000, and Belgium $4,000.
The value of this great American output approximates $15,000,0OO.
In 1905 the American output was barely $4,000 cars, valued at $3OOOO-
600, while in 1900, when the first show was held, and when the industry
really began to assert itself, the output was $500 cars, valued at $4,7OOS
OOO. OF these cars the gasoline machine is the predominating type, form
ing about SIS per cent. Steam vehicles comprise eight per cent, and
electrcs seven per cent.
The most notable feature, perhaps, of this tremendous growth, j the
influence that the American car is exertng upon international automo-
bile activity American exports of entire cars and parts for this year
VIII b nearly, II not quite, double that for 1906, the value of the e-
ports for the latter year being $%3,5OO,OOO, while up to the present time
the exports have reached about So 10000.
The American car has proved its worth. While these figures are
naturally a source of pride and indicative of American enterprise, we
must not, at the same time, fail to acknowledge the valuable lessons
learned from the pioneers in the industry abroad. From the French
makers we have learned valuable lessons, the most important undoubtedly
being that the very best materials and the most careful attention to
details are essentials to an absolutely reliable car. That the American
machine has attained this acknowledged standard has been amply proved
by its success in a multitude of ways during the last two or three years.
| firmly believe that had an American car been in the arduous Paris.
Picking run it would have accomplished the trip successfully. Here in our
own country we have witnessed several transcontinental runs by some
of the smallest powered runabouts, and surely no severer trip could be
imagined or destined to prove the real merit of the car, II else rack it
completely to pieces than a trip over the Nevadas and Rocky Mountains,
combined with long miles of travel through deserted regions of the west,
in large numbers in some of the toughest mining sections of the west.
The commercial car is showing its utility by the establishing of several
omnibus routes in many parts of the country, while rural letter carriers
have found the small motor vehicle an improved method of getting over
the country.