The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-01-24
SEEM EAGER IN ENGLAND
FOR AMERICAN MADE CAR
Continued From First Page.


additional machinery in order greatly
| To Increase the capacity"
Writing from Birmingham. United
States Consul Albert HalStead says the
| British market now appears to be i'm a
| condition where well made electric
vehicles could be introduced with pros
poets of profit Telling of the recep-
| ton recently given an American cleo
tric car, Mr.. Halstedd says:
The car was driven from Dumfries.
! in Scotland, through Penrith, Kendall
Preston, Manchester Birmingham
Coventry and other cities To London,
stops having been made enroute for
rests and the recharging of batteries.
II is interesting to note the attitude Of
those supplying electricity was very
favorable To the vehicle, which prom
Uses that when the use Of electric We
hicles warrant it practical steps will
be taken To provide for the charging
rates. which will make electric vehi-
cles commercially possible. With the
high price Of gasoline and the prospect
that il Will not be reduced for some
time, but may increase, this would
seem To be the moment for entering
the market. 1t should be remembered
however, that one British company
has already started the manufacture of
electric vehicles ana that others are
certain to follow if the market is
promising
Ireland is opening hey heart To au-
tomobiles, according To Vice Consul
Hugh III. Watson, writing from Bel
fast. big jump in the popularity of
motor cars has taken place i'm the last
twelve months. Mr.. Watson says.
Motor cars he observes. "were
slow in becoming popular i'm Belfast
Six pears ago the city lad but two or
three garages, and few automobiles
We're seen on the streets. Within the
past two years the trade has expanded
rapidly, until there are now in the
city sixteen firms dealing i'm motor
cars and nearly as many modern and
well equipped garages. In all some
forty different makes OF pleasure ears
are represented. and grading the ma
chimes by make and power, "A choice
the purchaser.
I'm price they range from about
$4,000 down to $500. While six or
eight siX-cylinder ears are found. the
great majority have but four cylin- |,
ders. Three makes are fitted with |
sleeve valve engines. Most of the cars
sold i'm Belfast are of British make.
and in the higher priced grades the
only competitors of the British ears
are Continental, principally French,
American cars, of which seven makes
are sold in Belfast, are confined to the
low priced grades, selling principally |
AT $1,2l6 or under, though one Ameri-
can car now sells at $i.4S5. This price
is for the car completely equipped and |
fitted with electric starter. The small |
cycle cars recently introduced To com
pete against the American low priced
cars have apparently had little sue
cess.
From the American point oe view |
The situation is satisfactory, as Amer
lcan low lflCeU cars nave CdplbTtu 81
good portion of the market On the !
other hand, American ears of medium |
or high price have not found adequate |
representation here. In that class of
cars which numerically .eads in repre-
scntaton In Belfast-that Is, cars
costing about Sl,4G0 to Sl.950-and in |
the more luxurious types the Ameri-
can car Is rot in evidence. Moreover.
American automobiles in this market
are practically all touring cars. The
percentage of closed ears found I'm
city of the climate Of Belfast would
probably he surprising t. the American
manufacturer. The lack Of heat in
summer, however, and the incessant
rain in winter cause many people To
consider no other type when purchase
ing"