New-York tribune., 1910-12-18
SHOWS SLIGHT INCREASE
Mo Reduction in Prices of Next
Seasons Automobiles.
1uE HORSEPOWER REDUCED
Averages Obtained from Cars To
Be Exhibited at the An
nual Show.

Association OF A.fCe0Sen AuAtshtbif'
manufacturers. and while no report can do
. .u..ice TO the many niceties which MAKE
= .,,is seasons cars different from and bet
,ben those % last season. some facts
ne eet forth which will enable tie
ao, visitor 10 better understand the
--.,-.h of the industry and the trend o'
s.,.,l,n-,ent On every hand will he seen
.,,.bt improvements in outlines. shsh'
,,rss I'm wheel bases. slight increases
a. ,heel and tire sizes and slight improve
,.,rs in practically every detail. The
+o-e observer will find much OF interest IN
evr.r exhibit
The first question IN tho mouth OF many
oe,ac,ive buyers is that of price An
.r.-sse OF such prices have been made
,,,,bf;c contains a surprise. but not the sur
r,rise the buyers have been hoping and ex-
saecf,ne. Much has been said about re-
- snc.snn in price being probable. that the
automobile must be cheaper. that quantity
rroduction must bring increased sales by
ioue-sng the prices. But what of the
fsets2 At these shows Will be found a
eoadlv number. OF ma akers who exhibited in
rRe independent show last year, and whose
vehicles are smaller and lower priced than
me goods of last years exhibitors. Among
,he new accessions may be mentioned the
Brush. Maxwell. Mcintyre, Oakland. REQ.
ts-fercar and others whose proouctS are
not in the price altitude class that many
of last years exhibitors are such as the
Alec. Win1on. Thomas, Corbin. Stevens
pll-vea. Stesrns Royal Tourist. Pope
Hartford Pierce arrow Packard Peerless
Ioziel Knox and Franklin. The natural
p expectation is that there would ne shown
q great price reduction as result OF this
- hleading of classes. but such is not the
case The average price last year. as taken
from. a table recently compiled, was
zSass a. while this years average shows
= ss.sn 2S. This is reduction, il is true. but
- when the thought is kept in mind that last
-- wears price did not include the lower price
=. vehicles il appears that 1911 shows an in
grease rather than a decrease.
That il has done so is not surprising when
the constantly rising prices Of nearly all
products entering into the costs are con-
sidered. Living and labor are higher,
leather and wood are scarcer and on every
hand the mark Of Improvement instead of
oheapenins is 10 he seen. Better is de-
msnded by the buyer. and if he gets oct
ter al the same price he is getting rhe
results of lower prices. although he pays
=ihs same money
= There has been much speculation about
the engine Across the water the laws
n5su suid1ftHN nave itIfeu lpFiS SttphtS
end snort bores, few cylinders and high
speeds. This is abnormal growth, and
81 is hoped viii he avoided here. so il is
with satisfaction that the relation Of bore
TO stroke is noted Last year lis per cent
OF the engines had equal bore and stroke
This year l3.4 per cent bear this relation,
q gain of is per cent. This relation is 30
be found on cars of long proved merit and
e<rs ii
can, Amplex Buick, Cartercar. EMF
Jackson Kissel-Kar. Lambert, Locomohile. /
Maxwell. Oakland. oldsmobile. Regal. SIM
pIex. SpeedHelI Thomas and Winton.
Others of no less high reputation show
very closely this relation. Some employing
q larger. bore as the Corhin, Eln1ore |
Franklin. Kissel- Ksr. Knox. Lozier and
Stevens Duryea. while others like the cad |
lilac, Columbia. Hupmobile, Flanders,
Glide. Marion Moon. Mercer. Packard.
Pieree-ArroH, Pullman. Rainier and Stod-
dard- Ia yton. employ here's only slightly
smaller than the strokes. The fact holds
good that the large bore and short stroke |
enEine is lighter and more compact. and |
therefore better suited 10 automobile work |
snj the tendency to return 10 sloping hoods |
Will accentuate the value of the short |
stroke engines in future, II is believed.
= J he numbers of cylinders shows an in !
crease. Thus last year 7as per cent were |
four-cy-linder cars. whereas this year only /
1ss per cent show them. a decrease of IS |
Ter cent. This docs not mean that there 1
Gre less four-cyliDder cars than a year /
ego. hut that the sixes and twos have in |
creased in number. In indicates that q |
graater variety is being offered to select I
from II is very evident that no one kind |
or style of vehicle can meet all needs so |
variety must be provided. The six-cylinder
cars have increased in proportion from 1s5
per cent last wear to 242 per cent this year.
gain of more than 30 per cent. The two
cylinder cars show even greater growth (
from 6 10 Is per cent, growth of nearly
i5A per cent
in connection With this is the large re-
ourfion i'm powers shown by the average
horsepower Of 35.1 last year and 2se horse
power this year. a reduction of more than L
. Per cent. This reduction indicates bet
aer workmanship. better designing, less
iTlcton losses, lower fuel bills and more |
"a satisfactory vehicle al around II points to
tie fact that the automobile for daily use
need not ne an expensive Juggernaut but
can Re of 4 size power and cost 10 fit the
sFersse mans purse. II indicates the
i9tu1e use Of engines. which can be air
'eoied, and gain in simplicity thereby
isken IN connection with the price average
u shcHs very great increase in efficiency
INC quality. for il is evident that the
maker could not reduce his power and still i
oHntaln or Increase the price unless he I,
doie 10 show the ability 10 meet the
- needs II probably also indi-
- 1,'@.'he passing Of the speed fever which
many ouNers in the past to buy exces-
80. FoHers IN order that they might in
foolish desire for railroad speed ON
Tie common roads.
'"e'tea with this power decrease and
- maintenance or increase is the trans
showing Here We find sliding
g.. nave increased from s45 per cent TO
FeF cent, growth of per cent.
-''e planetary gears have dropped from
'ef cent 10 S per cent. This indicates ,
yep toward economy by using a smaller
'nesper motor, and giving il a better
1e"ee 10 do its work. due 10 fi1e sliding
having usually three speeds forward.
-.'. ne planetary has but two. 1t il
e'''esi mat the $500 pound vehicle with .
speeds forward needs but little moro ,
ihe power than the 100 pound veh,cI.
. =" TWO speeds forward. On this account
: economy 10 provide the wide range of
ano save the motor size and fuel !
D--s Against this of course. is the neces ,
"i shifting gears more often Manvi
prefer 10 have motor enough and
10 practically all driving on the one /,