The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-04

| abroad. and it Is significant that this branch of our foreign trade has grown without any special effort on the part of american builders who have had their hands pretty full meeting the home de- mand.
 Government reports show that the United States has become the greatest eN- porter of automhobiles in the world. For the year 1901, automobile exports in this country were valued a. s361$71. Up to the end of last October, the latest date Tor which official figures have been complied, exports Of American automobiles during 1911 were valued in the aggregate at Sl5,- SI4677. An estimate which brings the total for the completed year up To S2O, G1o.000 is regarded as reasonable.
 In the meantime, while exports haze been increasing, imports have decreased corresponapgly. During 1910 imports of foreign cars fell in value from $5,g2so0o the year before to g, 231 POS.
 The automobile magazine predicts that
 in the preesnt year exports of American cars will be of record breaking proper tions as regards both quantity and value. And it points to South America as rich field but little cultivated heretofore. There are American builders who have already begun to cultivate the South American field and with much success.
 A ltDOll IOAllllE lItll ISti6i ieiiiN Heo's2 that a new tire is about to be placed on the market by the Holmes Engineering company of London.
 It is saiu that it will give D per cent more service than any other make man ufactured al the present time, and thas tho tire can be produced and sold for 10 per cent less than anything manufactured heretofore.
 The ingredie nts of this new tire are still a TTOfOI101 If1f known that rubber is the base, and that scrap leathef ground to d fine powder and mixed with the rubber and other unknown materials under an extremely high pressure are Used in it's manufacture. The claim is F. ade that Il is equally as resilient as the usual type of tire of today, and that in one respec. it is even more so for the reason that it can be used with lower air pressure, in the inner tube without reshl- tant damage to the casing. Tests made on tie famous Brooklands track near London, COX ering several thousand miles show that a car. is quite as fast equipped with these tires as with the regular pneu- matte. Tests have been conducted for the past two years and the only point at which the makers do not claim superiori- ty is with reference to sSidding, and on this point they clam there is absolutely no difference between it ..and the usual type of tire.
 Exhibiting automobiles in lobbies of hotels has become common in New York and Chicago, but it is new in most other | cities, and wherever it has been tried it seems that it has met with great sue cess. Joan F. Turk, an agent at Roches- ter, N. .Yo surprised the motorists of that city by showing big 6-60 seven passen- ger f1 the lobby of the Powers hotel dur ng Rochester show week. although to do this it wss necessary to tear out one side of the writing room to permit the cars entrance. The wheel base of the six was 14J inches and its other meas 1 urements are proportionately generous and there was no other way to get it into the hotel A precedent was established in the line of motor ear display in Rochos- ter, and 1t promises to be extremely pop
 ular next year, as the premier in the hotel lobby attracted more attention than any car shown at the Armory.
 Probably the most attractive car in the premier strictly stock exhibit on the main
 floor. center aisle, of the Chicago coli scum show, is the 6-6O seven passenger Berlin. This enclosed limousine, with it's l iIimball body was designed chiefly for city use. The straight line effects have
 been folloTed throughout and the entire l car has been kept within the wheels | tNeIe DelnS HIdtutaUN no ONefnanS OF 1 either side or rear, which keeps the | weight in the center, where it belongs | The Berlin is luxuriously appointed, be-
 ing lined with rich green broadcloth, with 1 70 inch upholstery and all the little refine | ments which go to make the highest type l of limousine bodies. The color scheme
 itself is dark green with white panels and 1 gold stripes.
 ] The remainder of the exhibit include.
 a seven passenger 6-60 touring car, five l passenger 4-4O Clubman, and a stripped
 chassis of the 6-60 type The latter is
 ainted black and white with satin finish
 and old Roman god trimmings. It made
 q decided hit at the New York show The prairle schooner baggage car of the l ocean to ocean caravan, that made wor- I derful transeOntinentat trip last summer ] is doing SerHice on inc Chicapn sirnets