The Washington herald., 1914-02-22
"Sx-CYLNDER CARS
DAILY MORE POPULAR
c. W. Long. Studebaker Representa-
tive in Washington. Contrasts
Present Conditions with Past.
4oNE-LUNGERs" THE BEGINNING

There was a time when the mention OF
six cylinders conveyed to the automobile
buyer q mental image Of great size, ire
nendous weight. the employment Of q
regular chauffeur. big maintenance
charges and q first cost ranging from
5000 to $780," said c. W. Long. local
Studebaker representative, the other day
during discussion Of automobile condi-
tons.
six cylinders were then a natural ac-
compartment of wealth. Men of mod
crate means could appreciate them from
O distance only. But that time Is past.
For more than a year, Studebaker has
been building q thoroughly reliable and
fully equipped light six which has been
retailing by thousands. all over the
world. at a sales price of s1,575. Z. o. b.
Detroit. While the Studebaker is the
lowest priced six on the market there
has been q general downward trend in
all six prices. These concessions and
the resulting six popularity have
caused q number Of manufacturers to
eliminate the production of four-cylinder
cars altogether. centralizing on the type
best fitted for use in a seven-passenger
car where large surplus of power is de-
manded.
This assured popularity of the light
of the public a belief that, in time, the
six-cylinder car may force the four en-
tirely into the background. as the four
did the two-cylinder cars of seven or
eight years ago. and as the two-cylinder
car did the "one-lungers" of the earliest
days.
During the past year we have re-
ceived a great amount of correspondence,
indicating that. in the minds of the gen.
regarding the functions of the two types
OF motor. Expressions of this sort have
probably come to us in especially large
quantities, due to the fact that we have
built and are now building large guam
titles of both fours' and skies
I'm every case where opportunity has
offered. we have declared emphatically
that, in our opinion. the six will never
crowd the four into oblivion. Until
some revolutionary Improvement in mo-
tor engineering takes place, there will
always be a legitimate demand for six
cylinder and four-cylinder cars.
That the light, popular priced six
has had a very distinct influence on de-
termining the type of -four" which will
supply the demands of the future. can
not, however, be denied.
1.-THE six defies competition on its own
ground High power and six cylinders
are already synonymous. When one
speaks of seven-passenger capacity, a
six is always implied. The motorist who
is willing to pay something in addition
TO the minimum price to secure fexi-
bility, reserve power, comfort, and luxury
will be a six buyer. There will always
be a large class to whom this type OF
car will appeal
But there remains a still larger class
OF buyers who will always be content
with four-cylinders- They are ready to
accept a car of five-passenger capacity,
and are wiling to make four cylinders
answer their uses, even though occasional
gear changes in thick traffic and on the
steepest hills may be implied. They want
the absolute minimum on gasoline and
oil consumption. The 500 which they
save in first cost amounts to more than
the superiority of the six from their
point of view.
This class will always buy tfours,'
And the Tours it will buy will be cars
of five-passenger capacity or less; cars
into which manufacturers have put the
highest quality of materials consistent
with rock-bottom price; cars designed to
bring the greatest possible efficiency in
miles per gallon Of fuel; cars that, in
spite of their low price will come to
their owners carefully trimmed and
finished, and fully equipped with all
motoring conveniences, including electric
starting and lighting SYSTEM le1t-nand
steer, center control and every other de-
veIopment that renders a car thoroughly |
up to date.
In the cases of both the four and
the six price is yearly playing more
important part. When motoring was new,
price standards were elastic and the
adroit salesman could always make the
most of exclusive features of design. As
the cars themselves have become more
alike, and as prospective buyers have
learned TO discount sales talk, price has |
become an Increasingly vital element. |
Now a buyer must be shown a dollars |
worth of additional value for every dollar
in purchase price, nor Is it easy to delude |
him longer with any subterfuge.
''To sell cars cheaply, manufacturers
must produce both fours' and skies |
in great quantities. OF this fact the pub
lie has become fully aware. One of the
marked trends of the market during the
last year has been this increased wisdom
regarding manufacturers their scope,
permanence and financial stability. These
clements, too, play an active part in
nearly every SALE 1