New-York tribune., 1912-01-15
THE leAR AND THE LADY. LADY.
Beauty Of the Modern Auto Is
Due to Feminine Opinion.
RESPONSIBLE FOR LUXURY
Desire of Woman to Drive Is !,
Responsible for the Light
Machine of To day.
BY Dorothy Kanes, Advertising Manager
(Abbott- DetFOiD.

(Abbott- DetFoit.
While this article was in preparation a
very wise man and learned In automobile
lore came TO see me. What" asked him.
"has the automobile done for women" He
gazed at me thoughtfully. 1T has enabled
one of them 60 earn a very excellent liv-
ing" he said That is true, OF course. Since
my firm, rather courageously, permitted
woman 10 do what had hitherto been ex-
clusively a mans work, possibilities in this
field have opened out for women with the
necessary qualifications. But | am here
concerned rather with the woman who buys
car than the one who writes Of IT,
The pressure of feminine opinion has very
directly led to the beautiful car OF to-day.
without am comprehension OF the mechan-
ical merits or demerits, a woman looked at
the heavy, awkward car Of few years
ago and decided: Somehow, ! don't like
the looks of that car" And presently de-
siensrs realized the need for a transition
from the III fitting bodies that were prac-
ticalIy an adaptation Of the carriage body
TO bodies expressly built to be harmoni-
Gus unit with the chassis The smart,
straight lined, fore-door bodies OF the car
of 1912 are the answer to this feminine de-
mand, as are also the exqusitely luxurious
upholstering and perfection Of detail which
characterize the standard cars OF to-day
The beauty Of the limousines and other
inclosed cars is another evidence OF the
powerful effect Of feminine wishes. 1 have
little hesitation In saying that, left to his
own devices, any sort OF car would do
man, so it "got there" And, say what one
will the clean cut, light, perfectly balanced
body the feminine demand has brought
4bout is very likely 10 he the outward and
visible symbol Of a businesslike and ef-
! Rcient chassis.
| When woman wearled Of sitting in the
| tonneau and took her seat behind the wheel
another vital impulse was impaired to car
| building. It became essential to build a
car so light that woman could tour in It,
30 compact that she might manipulate II In
CITY traffic, so mechanically simple that
minor engine troubles could be easily located
and corrected and go flexible that gears
! could he shifted without eXertion. The re-
e,,lt Of this demand then has been 10 give
lus in the high grade, moderate priced cars
| Of to-day. first, a body both beautiful IN
itself and beautiful from the point OF view
a
of utility.
: Conversely, the car has done much for
woman. II has largely freed her from the
limitations of space and given her activities
radius OF ten miles for every mile they
enjoyed before. 1t has opened up broad
avenues Of social intercourse, interest ana
! recreation hitherto undreamed Of. ! am
reminded Of a timid, anamic, futtering little
wisp Of woman who bought an Abbott
Detroit car in obedience to the advice Of a
! snocialist who hoped the open air life
/ would prove an antidote TO the neuresthenia
with which she was threatened. \ Ie"
/ months later l happened to see her as she
was bringing in her car for inspection and
| Il needed an effort TO associate her with
I the tired, palld little lady Of so short time
ago.
D