The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-03-16

nominations OF American built cars TO
have made this race a success, There
was little or no probability, however,
of British manufacturers supporting
the proposition. The situation is thus
explained by THE Field" OF London:
''The idea underlying the Royal Au-
tomobile clubs proposal was to induce
the design and construction In this
country OF motor cars of q type pos
sihle Of being successfully marketed
against the American runabout. IT
took its birth out of the scarce sta
tistics published in the press last year,
going to show that we were on the
eve of large and comprehensive at
tempt on the part of American motor
car manufacturers to flood our market
with so-Called twenty horsepower cars,
selling at or about $1,000 to $3.50.
without knowing very much about
tho economic side of the problem, the
club was induced 10 propose a race in
the Isle of Man which would enable
the relative merits and comparative
values of native and foreign priced
cars to he demonstrated. To do this
two basic conditions were decided
upon. and the proposal taken to the
council of the Society of Motor Manu-
facturers and Traders. These condi-
tons were limitation of power to four
cylinder engines Of about three-inch
piston diameter and five and one-half-
inch stroke, and a price restriction
which brought matters down very near
to the American runabout line.
THE society was willing to give the
project a run II its members desired
10 participate. but since it was early
apparent that only American entries
could be expected, because there are
no British cars on the market con-
forming to these conditions, the joint
committee appointed to report on the
prospect at once stipulated for some
definite promises of construction and
participation from British manufac-
turers. We believe that these have
not been forthcoming in any quantity
sufficient to satisfy the society.
Whatever view be adopted regard
ing the usefulness of a contest on the
lines set out, we may very well ques-
ton the practical wisdom of the Royal
Automobile club in cndeavoring, in
this way, to force the production Of
British built cars along lines primarily
dictated not by our own, but by Amer
lean conditions. In our opinion, the
ROYAL Automobile club invited failure
by setting out to create its own type
OF competitors on market sufficiently
prosperous and busy to turn deaf ear
to the conditions involved.
We know that 1t has always been a
fixed article Of faith with the Royal
Automobile clubs technical commit
tee that it's lahors should be devoted
toward developing British motor cars
designed along lines other than those
dictated by immediate influence of
supply and demand.
THE condition OF the motor car
market clearly suggests that the Brit
ish manufacturer is not at present dis
posed to compete against the Ameri-
can along American lines, and to hope
TO induce him to do so before his ma
terial interests compelled necessity,
and by the simple expedient of offer
ing him a race in which to demon
strate his inherent superiority. surely
was foredoomeG to failure.
III the demand for iow-priced
American cars continues to develop
during 1913 we may be sure that some
native makers will see the necessity
to attack this market within their own
market Then the opportunity 10 dem
onstrate greater mechanical efficiency
no doubt viii be acceptable, and tho
Royal Automobile club race become