Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-12-30
ENGLAND FEARS
AMERICAN AUTO
II. E. Coffin Returns with State
ment-- England's Worry De-
Clared GrOundIess.

Upon arriving in New York from &
lengthy tour of Europe Howard e. Coffin
the leading American automobile engineer
promulgated the news that while England
Is in dire fear of the invasion of the
medium-priced American automobile, the
mother country's alarm Is groundless,
Mr.. Coffin, who is vice-president of the
Hudson Motor Car Company, Detroit
Mich, was the American speaker before
the first International conclave of British
and American automobile engineers held
in London. He visited the great British
automobile institutions and also those OF
France.
Mr.. Coffin said Britain's alarm at the
invasion of the mediums priced American
automobile is groundless, for the reason
that the same transition has taken place
in this country and worked for the. good
of motoring, for the medium-priced car
will greatly stimulate British interest in
~automobiling.
Just now over In England, said Mr..
Coffin. you hear much about the eomifg
American invasion of the English market.
IF the medium-priced car has a field
in England the probabilities are that it Is
a field to which they a not catered.
It seems to me that they may meet the
issue either by building medium-priced
cars for this demand or by keeping out
of this field and sticking to the product
incline.
I'VE have been through the same thing
in America exactly. The production Of
a death-knell.
"These 'death-knells'' have been the
greatest missionaries ever. You know
that there is In the makeup of the aver
age man very little of the anti-climax.
highlands larger car business will be bet
ter when their roads are alive with the
little ones. Our records compiled show
that within the United States there are
thousands of families whose annual in
come would warrant the purchase of a
$4,000 or 5000 car. There are some hum
dreds of thousands of families amply able
thrnnOh innnpan 60 pfIr.cIa 60 tha 60 mn any,
But there are actually millions of FAM
lilies amply able to meet their obligations
in the purchase of the $1,000 car. Not so
long ago we heard the cry that the
ownership of a motorcar must be an in
dication either of great wealth or of the
reckless spendthrift. The automobile
could never be the property of the ordi-
nary farmer, the tradesman or the village
plumber. But wonder of wonders-when
manufacture had brought the price within
the reach of the quantity market-the
market was there to take the goods. to
pay for the cars in cash and to put them
into q service to bring quick returns, both
social and financial.
Look carefully at the man behind the
wheel of the next low-priced American
car you meet on the road. The chances
are you will find him no millionaire.
There are 100000 farm owners alone
in the States and many thousands less
than 100000 motor cars in service ever
yet.
Now, as we figure it, the maker may
choose the field or class to which he may
cater. Low price means necessarily large
production and a tremendous financial
outlay in equipment, to say nothing of
brain organization and nerve. 1 have
heard it estimated that England cannot
hope to ombat the American invasion.
| believe rather that the Englishman pre-
fers to think conservatively and In small
numbers. In this connection would like
to say two things: First, thai this same
low-priced car invasion has conquered
America, with results only of good to the
medium or higher priced product OF merit,
and, second, that. with her high-class
labor, her great factories, her wonderful
resources, her centuries of manufa curing
experience and her worldwide market
through her provinces and through her
proximity to the continent, 1t would take
much to convince me that England Were
in manufacturing competition with any
nation ON earth