The Detroit times., 1909-12-27
BETTER -lUI0s- IN
1s1&PREB4GII8A
OF EXPERT 4
Longer Wheel Base, More Condensed
Motor, Larger Wheels and Tires
Will Be Seen at Wayne
Gardens Show.
Upward Trend in Price Firmly Evil
dent and Buyers Will Do Well To
Order New Cars Early.
BY CHARLES e. DuRYEA,
--MEcHANlcAl- EXPERT.
(American Motor Car Manufacturers

NNWcFtCdU MOtoF Oar MdNuidCtuTcFs
Association.)
Motorists always wait with i'm.
patience the opening OF automobile
shows, as at that time the new offer
ings of the motor car makers are
divulged for the first time. Just what
the big list OF exhibitors at the Wayne
Gardens affair will unfold in new
wrinkles, cannot be conclusively told
until the OPENING. Jan. "a.
Several things have conspired TO
force the season of 1910 TO the front
and permit at this date a better view
OF the coming year than is usual at
this period of the year. The shortage
OF goods during the past summer
cleared the factories and permitted
the new product 10 come out sooner.
The absence of vehicles on the sales
floors OF agents caused them TO ask
for the new product instead OF asking
that II be held back till the old ones
were sold Several interesting and
pleasant things are to be seen in this
early view OF the industry.
Instead or striving 10 get the pro-
duct down to the market as seemed
to be necessary year ago, the market
now looks so different that the pro-
duct Is being pushed upward both in
quality and price. Even many OF the
makers who were building or looking
with covetous eyes on the motor buggy
as a product for the lowered market.
have now abandoned II and are mar
keting the conventional automobile.
The country buyer who feared TO buy
or had not the money 10 buy the
pneumatic tired touring car a year
ago, was then looking for some cheap
er substitute With the return OF pros
perity, high priced wheat. corn. cotton
and beef, the buyer is looking for ser
vice. style and luxury and everything
that is best in motor car construction.
Wise Buyer Will Order Early.
On every hand the upwardly swing
ing pendulum is 10 be seen. The buyer
who expects to purchase this coming
year, will do well To get his order in
early. lest he be unable TO get his
purchase through sheer inability OF
the makers and material supply
houses to supply the amounts called
for. IL takes months for material to
pass through the factories and come
out finished product and little de-
lay here "and- another there soon
throws the delivery far behind expec-
tations. In the early spring of 1909
a rush began-that simply showed un-
der the best equipped makers and left
many a buyer TO take something he
did not want rather than go without.
The wise buyer for 1910 will do well
to heed this experience and avoid its
repetition.
The economizing period through
which the industry has just passed
taught the value of light weight The
reduced tire and maintenance ex-
penses OF the lighter cars has been
very marked and has done much to-
widen the range of buyers. And II is
a well-known fact, that once, a man en-
ters~ the ranks OF the automobile
users, he is not happy until he has
crept to the top and driven the most
elaborate productions he can find. This
simple fact alone does much TO stimu-
late designers TO produce for next
year better creations than they had
last year The buyer who was pleased
by the makers Ideas last year will
likely be again susceptible. and. hav- !
ing prospered in the meantime" Will I
Duy tnclT more SNi
Because OF these things We md 1
wheel bases again moving forward II |
seemed rs though these had reached
the extreme and. would follow down
ward course but aside from the short 4
coupled town cars this seems not 10
be the case. -
Motors More Compact,
This lengthening of base has gone
forward with a shortening OF motors /,
In many eases. The tendency seems |
TO be toward lighter motors. and with I
all the cylinders cast In one piece. /
instead AS i'm most cases separately. I
This makes the motors shorter and (
does not require so much room IN tho
bonnets. This leaves more room for
passengers, and the length OF base
has been used to the passengers beuo-
ht In n-eseveral ways. In some casos
the bodies have been Heightened and
more leg room provided In others the
seats for the rear passengers have
been. brought forward and gotten IA
front of the rear axle where the riding
is easier. This also makes room for
wider doors and more easy entry 10