The Washington herald., 1911-08-20
FEW CHANGES In
1912 AUTO MODELS
New Cars to Embody Only
Slight Alterations.
FORE DOORS ARE BIG FEATURE
Many Manufacturers to Adopt This
style of Body which Has Proved
to BE Most Popular Since It's In
PRODUCTION This Season-Long
Trips Are Common Occurrences.


Each season brings forth a number of
changes in the automobile, though dur
ing the past two years they have been
slight ones.
The first automobiles were single-cylin-
der cars with the motor swung midway
on the chassis. The body was an ampli-
fcation of a buggy body. These were
crude affairs, and, though not a thing to
be admired, were highly priced by their
owners. To-day, however, the entire
construction of machines has changed
and in eleven years the car is thing Of
beauty.
Automobiles of the vintage of 1872 will
embody everything that the most fastidi-
Gus can desire in the way Of beauty and
comfort. No longer is the single or two
cylinder engine swung from the middle
of the frame, where it was almost mac
cessible. Instead, four and six cylinder
motors, which so quietly they can
scarcely be heard, are hung on the front
of the chassis, hidden by a handsome
hood and radiator.
The power is communicated to the rear
whels by a shaft instead of a noisy chain
which was constantly breaking. A set
of gears which run smoothly in their oil
bath has taken the place Of the planetary
bands formerly used.
Long Trips Are Common.
Trips of 100 and 200 miles in a day are
no longer things to brag about on their
completion. To-day automobiles have
taken the place of trains in many in
stances. Owners who formerly were
numbered among the commuters now
frorp boyna IN THAR ofioa
and back by automobile. Vacation trips
of 1000 miles and more are taken by
hundreds of owners.
1t has severely taxed the ingenuity of
automobile engineers to attain the pres
ent stage of perfection. A year ago
it was conceded by all that cars were
well-nigh perfect and that in the future
any changes which would be made
would be in the way of body designs
and refinement In fact so thoroughly
have some manufacturers been convinced
on this point that they have announced
that no longer will they build yearly
models The fore door was the main
innovation last year, and so well did it
take that it is to be continued this
year, some companies only building fore
door bodies.
Though all of the 1872 announcements
have not been made, there are to be few
changes in automobile construction, and
except for three companies who have
adopted a new type of motor no radical
departure from present construction can
be looked for. Heightened wheel base
and bigger wheels will be some of the
changes that will take, place. A new
model selling for a price that is between
charged for two makes already
marketed will be brought out by
a few concerns. These cars will be
built mainly in the four and five pas
senger touring type.
Roadsters for "Sports.'
= A low, rakish roadster with an abun-
dance Of power is to be put out for pub
lie approval this season. A few were
Quilt year ago, but mostly all to order.
Experience has shown that the young
5loods of the household having reached
a mans estate now want a car of their
own. They demand something distinctive
of the two-passenger type with plenty of
power. Cars that up TO now have been
built to order along these lines have not
proven satisfactory in every case, and as
q result the machine has received black
eye. Satisfied owners are the best sales
men of any car, as they are always ready
to talk about their machine, telling OF its
good points and never mentioning any
defects.
The motor car fever is like the horse
fever Of few years ago. 1t is an aggra-
waited stage of the same disease. Let a
couple of owners get together anywhere
and they will drop every other topic of
conversation to talk about cars in gen.
ersl, motors, magnetos, tires, consump-
ton of oil and gasoline, hill climbing
ability, and easy riding qualities of their
machine. Each one naturally believes