The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-04-08
nj I 0 MOBILE is
! KING; DETROIT
HIS THRONE
Manufacture Of Motor Cars curiOsi'
ties Here a Dozen Years Ago, Now
Constitutes City's Principal In
dustry and Is Still Growing,
Advent of the Horseless Age an Alb
sorbing Chapter in History OF
Worlds Progress,
To King Automobile. Detroit bows


An grateful obeisance'
No monarch in the history OF the
world ever enjoyed such undisputeo
away IA this uncrowned ruler "nose
.scendency began with the dawn o'
4 tha twentieth century, whose domain
has increased until 1t knows no boun
\ dar,es and whose throne ID the CITY
OF Detroit. .Ao,,
when Detroiters. speak OF their
home city as the center OF the auto
mobile industry, they are not boast
inr They are merely stating fact
ana a fact. moreover, that Ii recog'
nized and conceded by the world al
large. There IL no chance lor any
argument on that score. IL you are
4 at all skeptical. just run over the hs'
of motor car and parts manufacturers
located here. or, better still, taAe
week on and make q personal lhspec-
\ ton OF the plants, touching only the
Y high spots. II you are still In douo.'
consult the shipping records OF the
various railroads running out OF De-
troit for the past II months. and you
viii be quite ready to concede ina
Detroit IL the hub Of the universe as
( Tar an the making OF motor cars Ii
concerned.
There was a time when this city
was known to the outside world prln-
< cipally O. q stove center. II also
rained distinction as the home OF the
largest pharmaceutical plant on tne
4, xlobe. q distinction II still enjoys
The fact that. in q single decade, the
business of making motor, cars mas
forged ahead until 1t has taken 'front.'
rank among local industries Is no re-
flection on any other Line OF trade
On the contrary. these other local In
dustries have fortified their adyan-
tageous positions In their respective
fields and have saved Detroit from be-
coming known as a one-industry town:
Il In 1899, the motor car was prac-
tically unknown In Detroit except as
curiosity. In that year an outside
concern, attracted by the city's nat
ural advantages, moved here and be-
gan manufacturing operations on
small scale In plant out Jefferson
ave. Two more companies came into
existence in 1901, and third In 1908.
all starting in small way. From
1904 the growth Of the industry was
nothing short OF phenomenal, for the
world at large had recognized the
practicability Of the motor vehicle
and wa clamoring for cars.
Here Are the F1efs.
There are now in Detroit 10 com
panies engaged in manufacturing and
marketing gasoline pleasure cars.
three companies manufacturing cleo
trio pleasure vehicles and 10 manu-
featuring commercial cars. These
are not all separate concerns, how
ever, as some of them manufacture
both pleasure and commercial cars
Allowing for the Implications. there
are 81 individual corporations The
combined capital Of these companies
ts $35,500.000. They employed. dur.
Ing the greater part Of 1910. 1920
men and turned out ia, loo cars, val
ned at 3134,600, 000--catalogue prices
--as against 45,500 cars valued at
$54, 100000 In 1909. These figures are
based on confidential information fur
niBhed the Detroit Board OF Commerce
and are regarded az absolutely reli-
able. The capital now invested is
more than double the total invest
ment or $15,200,000 In 1909, as will be
noted, while the number Of men EN-.
pipyed In 1903 was $4,000 as compared
with the figures given above, 27,200.
In addition to the car manufacturing
concerns, there are more than 40
companies whose principal business
H. the making Of motor car parts and
accessories. The estimated output
Tor 1911 Is conservatively placed at
142.600 cars, pleasure and CONNER.
Gal, representing q total value of
nearly $3.50, ,O0O
These figures tell their own story
ana require no elucidation.
The extent of the local industry
was strikingly exemplifed on the &C.
casion Of the last annual automobile
show, In January, when the spacious
Wayne pavilion, even with temper
AIRY annexes, proved far too small to
Accommodate all the applicants for
space, with the result that an over.
flow" show was held in a north end
factory. At the time IL was stated
that, In the number and variety OF
cars shown, the combined shows
constituted the greatest display Of mo-
tor cars ever shown In this country.
It.attracted visitors from all over the
United States and some even from
foreign shores, who were eager TO
see Just what had been accomplished
IN the way Of new models, equipment,
Increased efficiency, ETC., In the
worlds automobile center.
The history of automobile shows
furnishes a good index to the develop
ment OF the industry The fret ex-
hibition Of motor cars In this country
was made In New York city IL years
ago this fall, In connection with a
bicycle show, and created but little
interest. In 1900, another show was
held In New York, at which IS cars
were exhibited. What has now come
TO be known as the First Annual Au-
tornobile show, was held In 1901,
under the auspices Of the Automobile
Club OF America, and the place was
New York, Of course. II ran from
Nov. 3 to Nov. 10, and there were 90
exhibits. In 1906, the Association OF
Licensed Automobile Manufacturers
entered the show field, and secured
long lease Of the Madison-sq. garden.
forcing the A. G. A. to seek other
quarters for exhibition purposes. That
same year the American Motor Car
Manufacturers association took a
hand In the game. and held a most
successful exhibition In the Grand
Central palace. New York. in con.
jnhction with the Automobile Club OF
America