The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03
THE KETTIG
PIERCE-ARR ARRIVES

The Pierce4 Arrow seven passenger
touring car ordered of the Birmingham
Motor company by Mrj William II.
Kettig, was delivered last week 1t
is the newest high priced automobile
to reach this section of the country
and 1t has attracted widespread at
tention in Birmingham. The car is
unquestionably the most elegant auto
mobile proposition that has ever glded
over our new wood blocks. The car
is of dark red color, with the most
artistic and elegant lines finish that
has yet been issued by the Pierce
Arrow art department. In grace and
general appearance the car is perfectly
great The machine was driven around
the city by attaches of the Birmingham
Motor before delivery. The car at
tracts the greatest attention by reason
OF the unusual electric headlight po-
sition. They are placed high on the
Tenders and are extremely odd to first
gaze upon. 1t is claimed by the factory
that the superior bumper in front will
adequately protect the lamps from the
frequent fender injury while IL hit
from the side a replacement of the
fender and light will cost very little
above that of the fender straight. IN
reference to the position of the lights
this statement is offered by the Bir-
n'ingham Motor company men handling
VIC Ai1N AidNHthtot DIS Coilt1iS liOIu lAt
factory:
after much study and experiment
we have in these new models adopted
a new location for the electric head
lamps. These are now placed on the
front mud guards in such a manner
as to give much wider diffusion OF
light, particularly on short curves,
greater Illuminated distance, on ac-
count of increased height from the
road, and marked Improvement over
the tendency to distort and exaggerate
road Inequalities when the lamps are
close TO the road.
"A pronounced gain from the me-
chanical point of view. due to the new
location of the head lamps is the added
efficiency of the radiator which is now
directly exposed to the free rush OF
air.
Dash lamps are now a unit with
the cowl and more in harmony with
the clean lines of the body than ever
before Wind shields and lamps are all
the specialized product of the factory
behind the car, while every detail OF
hardware and appointments is designed
in the art department"
The only extraordinary departure of
the new Pierce from the usual motor
car of that concern as embodied in the
1911 product is the electric starter
The company abandoned the air starter
ana mas equipped its new cars with an
electric starter designed by the factory
engineers, which is said to be incom-
parable.
In connection Herewith this state
ment is made:
I'VE consider this engine starter to
be the superior of all other electric
starters now on the market and the
equal in efficiency and service to our
own air starter used on the cars of the
"A, Be series. Due to a somewhat
greater uniformity of design, we have
adopted the electric system, as designed
by us, a s preferable, from a manufac-
turing point of view, but we are of the
opinion that, from the point of view
of the user. there is absolutely nothing
to choose between the two systems.
The electric lighting system used
employs the same generator and stor-
age battery as the starting system This
generator Is entirely elf-contained. no
auxiliary regulating devices being
necessary All connections; both sof
starting and lighting systems, are on
single wire circuits. reducing the wir-
ing to minimum, together with the
danger of leaks and short circuits A
special and highly efficient storage bat
tery completes the electric system"
The oiling system is new in that the
ignition is always provided for with
cncased oiling connection which will
last for the whole life of the car and
is said to be unusually attractive
The new car is one of unusual attrac-
tiveness and it is said that four addi-
ttonal orders have been given since the
kett1g car reached the city.