The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1913-08-19
THE MOTOR GAR
OF NEXT YEAR
20 Pep '" Z
n oW MANUFACTURERS ARE
TURNING TO LEFT SIDE DRlV- !!
ING, WIRE WHEELS, HEAVYs
FUELS AND AUTOMATIC GEAR
CHANGING.

The Motor: While undoubtedly the
most radical change in any Of the cars
for the coming year is the adoption of
automatic gear changing, which has,
been taken up by some four makers
at least at the time Of writing, the
most pronounced change. looking at
the new production collectively, as 1t
We're, Is the greatly increased extent 1,
to which left-side driving is employ.
ed. There is an even greater move,
ment in this direction this year than,
there was last, and last year this
change from the then conventional
right-side operation was one Of the
characteristic features of the 1913 de-
signing period, as it may be called.
once more we have been taken into
the confidence of some fifty of the
| leading motor car manufacturers and
nave been given a definite idea of just
what changes to expect in the new
crop OF cars. Several makers have al
ready publicly announced their new
productions, but many more have not
| and are not quite ready to do SO, with
the result that we can't mention
names Some - quite an unusually.
| large number, considering the time Of
year and the fact that it has been the
custom for the past few years to an
nounce the next years models in May
June or July-are not. yet ready to
| say, even confidentiaIly, what their
new cars will be like, but S5 per cent
| OF those to whom we wrote know now
and told us. ~
We asked about worn gears wira
wheels, lett-side driving, sleeve valves!1
rotary valves, long strokes. kerosene
carbureters, electric starters. auto
| matte gear changing, "fours." "sixes,r
| and such things, and We found out a,
good deal. =
Left-side operation we have told
you about but we did not say that of
| the nifty (who, by the way. are
practlcally the same fifty who sup
plled us with data for our forecast
of the 1913 cars), sixteen, or 80, per.
| cent. will use it either exclusively or
at the option Of purchasers. And
these makers who have taken IL IN
| Tor the first time this year with thosa !
VINO did so last year seem to swing
the pendulum Of majority practice" to
the placing of the operator at the left
~ ~ the car rather than at the right as
| 1t was formerly. -.
we have also spoken of automatic
| gear changing--a radical Innovation !
-Four makers, at least, have sufficient,
conhdence IN it to announce that their
1914 cars will be fitted with it regu--
IarIy, and that the gear lever. so far
| as they are concerned, will be placed
IN retirement with the starting, crank.
| ignition.
1t is noteworthy that approxinate-.
| Iy 20 per. cent of the Manufacturers
| VINO furnished data will make n,,.
changes which would be indicated byss
the questions asked, and this means
that except for minor improvements. =,
Whlch though inconspicuous. are none
tne less important, they are stand.
| patters" for another year Some were
quite insistent that they do not nnaLs
yearly models, but there is no aps-t z
| parent tendency at the present time to
get further away from the old idea Of
| new car every season. The great
majority OF makers still have models
TO announce. and find 1t convenient I'd
| announce them annually. 1t Is a. mat -,
Ter OIL poilcy which every company
must necessarily settle for itself. -.
The only indications that worm gears
Will be used at all in the final drive [
/ OF the American pleasure car for 1914I
is the statement of one maker who
wrote "optionaT in the will YOU in
I9l4!' column opposite the worm gear
question and the announcement OF an
| other that arrangements have been
completed to standardize the worm
drlVe on his new series. On the other
nand, another member Of the foreign
invasion OF engineering ideas-the wire
| Wheel-has made quite number of
converts, counting those who will use.
IT as opuonal' or extra equipment
with the fewer number who will use IT.
regularly. There is really a much
stronger tendency to the wire wheel,
1t seems to us, than is shown by orr
preliminary survey. This tendency was
not1ceable even early last year, but the
adoption of this type Of wheel has
peen and evidently still is more of a
users than manufacturers move
ment. - = =
| While a great majority Of manufac.
turers will not make. any special pro-
visions for the use Of kerosene as fuel
for their 1914 products and few win
do more than they have of late years
IN the way of providing for the use
or the heavier grades of gasoI inc which
are now common, still the fuel probe
| lem has by no means been ignored
and the reason why there has not been
a more marked movement toward the
adoption. of heavier fuel vaporizing de-
vices is that most manufacturers are
not worried about the gasoline supply
or the ability of their cars to perform
well as now equipped with the grades
or gasoline which are likely to be polIr-
ed into their tanks.
1t is interesting to note that several
I-some SIX or seyen-makers stated
that they had not fully decided whethS;.
/ er or not to offer kerosene; carburetorg
when desired by purchasers Many
more, of course, stated positively that
4 they will not do so, but one came ont
lequally positively and said that any of
that particular make of car may bes
fitted and equipped to run an Kerosene
Another interesting thing is that one
company said that it's cars will be-
equipped with carburetors in each Of
4 which will be embodied "ana electrical
| heating device which will vaporize the
fuel before starting and therefore fa-,,
Icilitate starting with the lower grade
/ of fuel"
i There are among our fifty makers,
4 two new converts to electric starting,
i which helps to swell the percentage Of
/ those who do over those who "don'tn
in this particular. Explosive starting,
which will describe If it does not ex-i
4 plain, Is almost entirely done for. and
icompressed air is yielding somethingf
4 to the popularity OF electricity
Four of the fifty have added six -cyI.f
Under models for the first time, and one
maker advises us Of the discontinuarlce
Iof his "six" of last year. But the egig,,s
lis gaining, especially in the smallerE
sizes. Long strokes are getting a trifi@
Ilonger. Sleeve and rotary valves stay
las they were; sleeves with a few adxm
Iherents and rotary with monet hat is,A
Iamong the fifty-a and SO 1T goes.
II f4
L & 4 K s