Omaha daily bee., 1911-08-20
SOME CHANGES IN CAR MODELS
Important Mechanical Improvements
Announced for Next Year.
KNIGHT MOTOR TO THE FORE
Invention Passed UD st Home Secures
Recognition Abroad and Returns
triumphant - Complete
TOAD Equipment.

any ineano have made their announcements
81 1912 models. but sufficient have appeared
lc show the general tendencies, and 70
demonstrate that the coming season is to
be more prolific in the introduction Of new
IDEAS than has been the case for number
NJ years back. For the last three or four
seasons the manufacturers of motor cars
have been content TO build along lines that
were generally accepted as standards, max
ing improvements ami refinements from
time 20 time as they have been proved de-
sirable. No radical change In mechanical
construction has taken place since the gem
sraI adoption o. the vertical four cylinder
motor for all types Of cars in place of the
horizontal two-cylinder motor. the wide &C
ceptance Of shaft instead Of chain drive
and the Introduction Of the six-cylnder
power plant for large cars Indeed for the
last few years the manufacturers have
made changes in the appearance rather
than in the mechanical construction OF their
product. the torpedo and the fore-door cars
being the features OF two seasons.
The coming season. however. is to witness
some important mechanical changes, which
II they are successful will be almost in the
nature Of revolution in structural
methods The most striking change Is, of
.ourse. the introduction in this country of
years ago by Charles Y Knight of Chicago.
the Knight sliding sleeve motor met with
no recognition In this country. 1t remained
Tor Mr. Knight TO take his invention abroad
before it's merits were appreciated In
England the Knight motor was taken up
by one Of the largest British manufacturers,
and subsequently 1t was adopted by some
81 the principal manufacturers OF the coun-
tries on the continent. Two years OF more
Of use having proved the value 'of the
gliding sleeve motor, It is being produced
tor 1919 in the United states by at least
three manufacturers.
Features of New Motors.
The Knight motor differs from the stand
ard motor as heretofore generally used in
this country in that II has no poppet valves
81 the lift type. operated by cam shaft or
shafts. The admission of fresh gas and
the exhause are governed by sleeves that
slide up and down inside the cylinders and
are controlled from eccentric off the
main shaft. Various advantages are
Stained for the sliding sleeve motor, among
them being silent operation. increase OF
power economy and a cleaner appearing
power plant. The three companies that
have announced Knight model motors for
1912 are the Columbia, Stearns and Stod-
aard-Dayton.
Another mechanical change, which IL is
claimed is in the nature Of an improve
ment. and that has been forecasted the
asst season, is the more common use of the
long stroke motor. Among the new models
that have been announced so far this sum
mer. not a few of them are featuring
motors, the strokes OF which consider
ably longer than the bores. The square or
approximately square motor has given so
much satisfaction in the United States that
is difficult for the manufacturers to bring
themselves to the point OF abandoning 1t,
but the success of those makers who were
the pioneers with the long stroke type has
resulted in emulation. and everything points
towards 1912 a long stroke motor year
Very few manufacturers, however, have
followed the examples of the extremists
abroad In building motors with strokes two
inches more longer that the bcres
seIf-startins Apparatus.
A change that Is not an innovation, and
for which the women are in large part
responsible is the attachment TO many OF
the new cars OF self-starting apparatus
One or two cars have used self-starters
for several years. the Winton being promi-
nent in this way but II was not until the
wonten began to take up in earnest the
driving Of gas cars. that the self-startei
really gained recognition. Devices to DE-
away with cranking the motor will be q
part of the regular equipment the coming
season. not only of several large cars, but
of some OF the medium sized makes. The
self-starter is a boon that emancipates the
woman driver from the electric carriage
and that is not by any means unappre
ciated by the men.
The controversy between the six and thu
four cylinder advocates that waxed warn
haa mi ad W.T.
the acceptance of the fact that both types
have their value The season of 1912 vii
see an increase in the number of sis
cylinder cars and with the announcement
of a six cylinder model by the Packard
company about the last of the four cylinder
supporters has recognized the six. The
feature OF the year in this direction will b'
not so much the addition of six cylinde
cars to lines Of the higher priced makes. a.
the introduction more generally of the 81,
into the medium-priced class of machines
Some announcements have been made ant
others are known to be coming, of sl1
cylinder cars TO sell at prices lower than {
was believed could be put upon this type o
power plant a year or two ago There vii
be several sizes on the market this yea
for around 5000
Among the higher prieer cars nearl,
every make In 1912 will have a six cyllrde
model. Some OF the manufacturers hav
followed the lead of the winton and Pierre
and abandoned fours altogether. Will
others will continue to put out tours an
skies. Early reports from factories. who's
announcements have been before the publ
for several weeks. Indicate that the de
mand for Sixss among big cars is TO b
heavier than ever before. Several notabI
new sixes are to be put out little late
by prominent makers.
No Increase Ia Prices.
II has seemed to some who have rea
the advertisements Of the manufacturer
that have put their 1913 models on tn
market, that there ia upward tendenc
in prices. or at least t.TmnasB in the oil
prices. There is not however an increas
In prices. Quite the contrary, IL anything
is true Some Manufacturers are RdvertsS
ing their cars at higher figures than wa
the case last year, but n careful readiu
% their announcements will show that tn
price includes improvements aad co;uolet
equipment 30 that the figure Is no S.ghs
and In many cases lower than that while
was paid last season for a fully equippe
car. The manufacturers OF the hlKhs
priced cars have held their prices abou
where they were last year. but in almol