The Detroit times., 1913-05-12
American Cars Steadily Winning
on battle-ground Of Motors
Across the Seas
SECRETARY v. L. PAL
MER ON EXPORT TRADE
Michigan's Secretary Tells of
Gains-SOuth America To Be
Wrested From Europeans

FROM the very OlTJnplec0e OF
motoring In Europe, experts are now
coming to look at American CARS
and they are not only looking. they
are leaving their orders. Our ex.
port business for this year 10 more
than double that of last year."
Victor L. Palmer, secretary and gen-
eral sales manager Of the Michigan
Motor Car company, who made this
assertion. IL enthusiastic over the
success of American cars a. an ex-
port proposition.
I'VE have splendid distributing
agencies for Michigan cars In Fl diff
ferent countries" continued Mr..
Palmer, land that Notwithstanding
the fact that we have never made
what could be called campaign for
export business.
This year, the interest of foreign
dealers exceeds anything we have
ever known.
Men prominent In the automobile
business have come to our factory
from South America, England. Scot
land, France. Germany. Russia and
China. And they have left orders
with US and are sending larger re-
peat orders since their return home.
"A recent days orders illustrates
the astonishing growth of the foreign
demand We had orders for 10
Michigan cars from Shanghai: three
: from Yokahoma; four from Moscow:
six from Ponce, and six from Dussel-
dorf, all on the same day.
These foreign dealers, we find. are
very exacting men. Some OF them
like our Chinese distributor-spent
weeks here to watch the construction
J and to test the cars.
1.-The Europeans come from coun-
tries where engineering practice has
reached It's highest development. In
the cars Of their native lands. many
features new here are almost uni
versal.
Take for instance the four-forward-
speed transmission with direct drive
on fourth. The fact that this feature
gives the motor much higher eni-
cheney at much less expense has long
been recognized In Europe.
..At the Olympia show In London.
last November, 318 of the cars shown
had four-forward-speed transmfssions
against 229 cars that had the three
speed.
MANY of the leading high-priced
cars OF America have used the four
speed gear-set, for several years. But
with the 1918 Michigan, Engineer
Cameron pioneered this Improvement
among American medium-priced cars.
and its widespread adoption Is al
ready following.
"In addition to equipment that
nsed to be found only on high-priced
ears. together with the best there Is
In electric lighting and starting sys-
lem. our medium price 40 horsepower
cars excel In serviceabiuty on every
Kind of road. They are built for
speed with safety on rough roads as
well az oiled boulevards. They are
equally at home on the famous
roads of Europe or In the sloughs OF
South America.
This is due to our practice of con-
structing our cars to great over
capacity. and OF overtiring them.
Michigan cars are built to 80 per cent.
cyer-capacity, and the car Is tired 10
at least 1 900 pounds in excess OF its
!. rated passenger load. -.
"The European manufacturer with
the hard, smooth thoroughfares Of his
native land always before him,
builds for this lovely sort OF going.
The American, rich In experience,
with whole states Of sand. clay. gum
bo--everything to test the power
and. strength and performance OF
machinery--builds cars that Will run
wherever there IL room to get
through.
"Our American cars are winning
out against European cars strictly on
the basis of merit at lower prices. IL
the European manufacturers couio
produce as good q car. at the sama
price. the European dealers would sell
nothing but the home product. 1t 10
simply business. Sentiment plays
very little part In the commerce OF
the world.
Here Is the story OF American
ascendancy In figures:
Exports of American automobiles
during the first 10 months OF 1917,
amounted to nearly $20,000,000, ac-
1 cordink to government figures. As
compared with the corresponding
period of 1911. this represents an In
crease Of something over &c per cent.
The number OF. automobiles In
volved II In excess Of 100000. which 10
about the number exported during the
entire year of 1911. Estimates by
automobile manufacturers indicate a
total Of about 22,500 automobiles ex-
ported for the whole year. II II au-
thoritatively predicted in the automo-
bile trade that the total exports in
1913 will be above $4,000 cars.
This ID borne out by the fact
which everybody now knows. that
automobile exports from the United
States during the month Of February
reached . grand total Of S3.307 OCT
the highest figure yet. The total
number OF automobiles exported IN
the month was 1927 Salued at 92,s39,.
55s. Parts shipments made ny the
remainder.
!. MEDIUM priced cars figure enor.
mously In the. bulk of this export
business. This II due to the fact that
the automobile industry In Europe II
NOT u ait conditioned to compete
with America IN this Geld. Their