The Washington herald., 1913-01-19
new YORK SHOW
IS NOT RADICAL
Presents Beauty, Comfort, and
Healthy Conditions of
the Trade.
LARGE CROWDS ON HAND
Society Adopts Event and the Garden
Is Thronged Every Night-Details
Showing Trend of Makers.
srccial to The Washington Herald.


server who mingles all day and all night
through the congested crowds of we'll
dressed people who flock to view the
exhibits in this annual automobile show
learns that the manufacturer has well
aimed his ambitions. Briefly, the show
this year pleases, because it gives the
people what they most desire. This is,J
first of all, comfort; next. ease OF con-
troll; next. electric self-starter and light
ing system. and next. noiseless opera
ton. If the car has good reputation
for power and long service it needs only
these refinements 10 make it distinctly
popular
This is the analysis of the situation as
summed UP by one of the oldest exhib-
itors at the show, George NJ. Dickson, OF
Indianapolis. who is the general mana
ger of the National 30 company. Dick
son declares that this years show does
not produce any radical changes but
rather refnemCnts and improvements of
accepted standards. He also predicts
that the day for startling changes has
passed. and suggests that because OF
this the public will get even better cars,
because the builders will spend their time
in rlaking their cars absolutely satisfac-
tory instead Of searching for mere
changes to make them prominent
Public Considers Quality Only.
The National go manager asserts
tion. as il used to do, to a builders wild
assertions about the great quantity of
cars he produces, but that the buyers
now concentrate upon the individual car
under their study and judge it in an in
telligent manner. Dickson says that the
class of people attending the show this |
year are distinctly motor educated, and |
that they know exactly what they are |
talking about These people. this builder |
SAYS. are the salvation Of the entire |
industry because. according to his the 7
ories. such a critical attitude upon the +,
part of the public elevates the standard !
of the product
Europe can no longer sidetrack the |
interest of American buyers from the |
American-made cars says Dickson. I'm |
fact many of the wealthy owners who |
once went to Europe for a fashionable
car, are now coming to us at the New
York show and find style, comfort, lux |
ury. refinements Of every detail and |
description not only good, but much
better than they can get in Europe
Society has adopted the automobile
show and every night the beautifully |
lighted exhibition garden is thronged
with fashionably dressed devOtees Of the |
gasoline car.
Bits of gossip cleaned here and there |
among the manufacturers indicate that
the entire automobile business is in
are looking for a decidedly prosperous
vear. Dickson declares that the trend
of makers is away from quantity ana
toward better perfection and closer
attention to the minute details in the
building of every individual car. DICKSON
SAYS this has always been ms Hotto
and that the public now vindicates his
creed.
Rapid Change in Ten Years.
1T is interesting to note the great dif-
ference in the attitude OF the buyers who
to-day visit the show and those who
came oniv as short time as ten years
ago" SAYS Dickson. In those days We
were all newcomers, and the PUBIC VS.
tied the shows largely out Of curiosity. |
Not so to-day. Where once the people |
came with skepticism and doubt, TO-DAY |
they come convinced and in favor OF the
motor car and demanding that the
manufacturer keep pace with the stand |
ards of refinement and service the owner |
wants. Once the builder had TO per-
suade the public TO even inspect car
and ride IN II; now the builder must
convince this educated public that ne |
has kept up to date. In other words. the /
builder and not the public Is to-day. on |
the defensive. AS 1 have said before,
enjoy this condition of affairs, as II
automatically elevates the quality of our
cars when appreciative people use them
and encourage builders to their highest /
ideals.
"One serious mistake has been made
by some buyers at the show, L fear. and
that is that many have placed too-much
stress upon one or two particular fea-
lures rather than having considered the
car as unit. All visitors did not make
this mistake, but l have noticed some
who did. \ buyer should not put too
much attention upon a self-starter, just
for example, and this starter pleases him
conclude that the entire car does. A
buyer should consider a car as a whole:
its ability to render comfort. service, II
and satisfaction acting with all its vari-
Gus features and parts working harmon
iousIy together to produce the entire er-
feet" III
Much interest has been shown in the
National go car that Won the 5ou-mIIe
race last season. This was the only
American-made car that defeated the
foreign invaders during the entire season
in race of 80 miles more. The Ma
S-onal builders entered this race only,
Asa2 broke the worlds record, at the
~ne time defeating the foreign rivals
who sent much more costly cars here TO
compete.
Motor-driven Santa Claus.