The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-11
SOME STRANGE NOTIONS
OF FOREIGN DEALERS
Englislmen Are Strongly Pref
udiced Against American
Made Motor Cars.

chassis, popularity OF torpedo and closed
door bodies. n largo demand for Amer
/ 'can built cars especially the low and
medium priced models. and a general tone
or optimism is. In brief. the condition OF
J the automobile Industry in Europe, as
found by President Benjamin Briscoo OF
the United States Motor company, who
recently returned from a business trip
through England and France.
| President Briscoe says:
II Was particularly Interested I'm tho
development of the industry In England
because what occurred In the bicycle In
dustry seems to be repeating Itself IN the
Engiis1men were slow In settling down
TO systematic production, when they did
the progress OF their manufacturing
plants was steady and rapid.
Bicycle Business Good.
"Apropos Of the bicycle business in
England. ] am told that IL has never
been larger than II Is today There will
be no less than 200 bicycles made in
England this year.
I'm motors (as the English call them).
the Olympia show WAS an indication of
complete confidence in the industry on
the part of not only those engaged In IT,.
but OF all other connected interests and
OF the public generally.
-'The show produced practically moth
Ing. however. in the way OF new mechan-
ical design. would. In fact. call II more
OF coach builders show than a show
or mechanical construction. IL WAS In
teresting to note practically the universal
prevalence of the fore door body con-
struction; In fact. IL seems TO be lmpos-
siole to sell motor car In England or
In Europe which has not body designed
with fore doors.
''The taste In bodies seems TO run more
to curves than II does with us; In fact,
TO the straight line body construction.
such as has prev allied with US for the
last few years, some OF the English de-
signs look antique and odd.
THE knight engine seems to be meet
Ing with favor. although in the motor
papers and among the technical frater-
nifty there seems TO be great deal of
controversy on the merits of poppet valve
versus sliding valve motors.
Queer Controversy.
''Onc of the most characteristic things
which came under my observation was
the strong evidence OF caste in England,
which we know so little about In Amer
lea For instance. a considerable con-
papers and other papers which run de-
partments devoted to the motor car In
dustry as to whether or not the public
at large should be admitted To tho show,
1t being contended by many that admis-
sion should be restricted TO the class only
who are intending to buy car, presum-
ably the wealthy people.
How impossible for such a contro-
versy even to begin In our country, where
the clerk OF today Is the proprietor OF
tomorrow. and where II Is clerks and the
young men. the boys. In fact the public
at large. who are continually growing
Into the motor car class and to whom the
automobile manufacturer is interested In
making his strongest appeal
I'VE arc so accustomed to big figures
in the motor car industry Gas in all other
industries generally In our country that
one has to be careful in his conversation
while abroad so as not to appear TO be
r.. Ia L.. Oh.
man or the European to believe the ac-
tual figures of American automobile pro-
duction.
..There arc over 24o models OF cars
manufac ctured in Great Britain, which, OF
the total number OF models makes an
average of only sixty cars a model. 1t
seems to be the ambition of the manu-
facturers over there to multiply their
sible-in fact, some concerns seem to
take pride in the fact that no two cars
they made are alike. The confusion that
this throws the business into, therefore,
can be well imagined
at can be said, however, that some
of the manufacturers have adopted the
American system with noticeable sue
cess: In fact, the largest concerns outside
of America In the manufacture of auto
mobiles Is managed by natives Of Amer
lea. although practically dyed In the wool
Enelishmen now.
''To quote some figures as to the con-
dition of the trade In England. France
and Germany (the three countries that
visited). I obtained from the govern
ment statistical office copies Of the auto
mobile sale records,
Sales in England,
'Tn England, for the year ending jan
uary 1, 1910. there were sold 10, 1S4 cars
1929 of which were English made cars.
The average value of the English made
car seems to be about $1,000, This fact
Indicates what a limited conception the
English manufacturer and people have of
the ultimate universal use of the auto
mobile. with reference to this II may
becoming alive to the fact that the auto
mobile spells economy. for. the demand
for medium priced cars seems to be
growing much faster than the. produce
tion, although there are several English
manufacturers who are now preparing to
meet this demand with cars selling at
about $1,000.
.sJn Germany in 1909 there were about
5000 cars sold. and in France between
5000 and 5000.
"While therefore, the number of cars
about sixth of the total number sold
in America on account Of the increased
selling price car the annual turnover
is nearly half what it is IN America; i,.,
business either In England or the con-
tincnt A comparison of the automobile
imports. for instance. for The year 1909
into England is commentary on the
smallness or tho American export bust
ness
'Erom Frnncc--AutomobiIes TO the
value OF E2.520.000.
"Fron Gernany-Automobiles to the
value of GS25.000.
From Belclum-Automobiies to the
value OF E3S6 900.
From mltaly-Automoblles to the value
OF e225. 900.
"ITrom the United Statcs-Automobies
TO the value of s146.0O0.
Prejudice Against America.
1.-THE opinion that my Investigations
forced upon me was that IL is impracti-
cable for an American manufacturer to
place line of cars Gas they are made
for American roads nnd American com
ditionsl with a European dealer In the
hopc OF any very large business nor can
the American manufacturer hope for any