The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-22

S|X-CYL|NDER CAR
GROWING POPULAR

striking feature of the automobile
shows OF tho year. and upon which
many visitors commented. is the re-
markobly large number of siX-cylinder
cars, A careful count of the exhibitors
at stnt C Oh SS shows ffty.seyen repre-
nine makers are producing skies. In
cars at $1,000 and up the skies again
n deaG, me figures being sixty-fve six
four-cylinder models. Twelve of the
skies come at prices below $4,000. Five
Sizes are to be had at prices less than
weight skies are among the biggest
sellers of any cars on the market
The swing to skies is unmistakab BILE.
Ana among the SKIES the lightweight
cars at prices below $4,000 attract In
h Leifess' IN ~, 100 there were 1876 exhi.
year. or these slxty-eight makers
showed one-cylindcr and Two cylinde,
cars; Those sixty-eight makers ar
gued that the "fours" were merely a
fad; that they were too complicated
TOO costly: that they would never last
and repair bills would drive owners
back to the two-cylinder cars. Two
Years later the one-cylinder and two.
| sight, and have not been heard from
since.
Something very similar is taking
the day. Automobile engineers, while
recogniZing the advance made by the
Z
fled. They realized that there still was
a loss OF power. And they set out to
| find a motor that would run smoother.
with greater efficiency, a tyne that by
virtue OF it's construction would deliver
more units OF power per gallon of fuel
to the driving wheels. They sought a
quieter and more flexible motor one
with less strain OH it's own working
parts.
| tor 1t was found that the desired
ideal effect could he obtained by util-
ling the continuous torque of the six
cylinder motor. And that through this
steady application of power came such
desirable results as lowered fuel con
SUMPTION. lesscned tire wear, more
pleasurable driving aud control
j.. by using motors of smaller bore apd
longer stroke il WAS found possible to
greatly Tighten the material weight.
one prominent maker of Il light sin
uses motor that is sixty pounds
hshter than was used in four Ia
produce the same horsepower I'm
provemcntS in machine tolls have en-
Abled makers 10 drill and bore six
;Xnnders At no more expense than four.
Multiple drills bore six holes just as
nhcaply and rapidly as they bore four.
Considerations such rs these have been
active in turning the attention OF car
owners, as well as engineers and manu-
lecturers TO the siN-cylinder motor.
proof OF the merit of the six lies in
The fact that every standard maker
who started as Il pioneer To market this
style some years ago has continued
with ii. Whereas numerous other
features OF automobile design have been
offered to the public, tried and later
abandoned
OF the forty nine makers producing
SKIES to-day, only nine built SKIES in
| l9l0--n short period Of four years In
That year every maker but two built
tours and skies. To day eighteen lead
ing makers build skies only. There is
therefore, nothing in the slightest de-
! gree ephcmeral or experimental about
the siN-cylinder car. Its rise to favor
has, indeed, been rather slow Design
ers encountered many difficulties in its
production.
First. SKIES were heavy, costly. en-
pensive TO maintain. But automobile
engineers learned finally the secret OF
the SIX. And to-day the six is very
different to what 1t was Il few years