The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-01

STUDEbAKER HAS
COMPLETED LINE
ny ARTHUR I. PULP.

OF SIX cylinders conveyed to the auto
mobile buyer u mental image OF great
size. tremendous weight, the employ
ment of a regular chauffeur. big main
tcnancc charges md a first cost ranging
from $4,000 to $4,000
Six cylinders were then q natural
accompaniment of wealth Men OF
moderate means could appreciate them
from a distance only
Eut that time Is past For more
than "a year. Studebaker has been
building thoroughly reliable and
fully equipped light six which has
oeen retailing by thousands, all over
+. O. V. Detroit. While the Studcbakcr
IS the lowest priced six on the
market. there has been a general down
ward trend in all six prices. These
concessions and the resulting six
popularity have caused Il number OF
manufacturers to eliminate the pro-
ducton of four-cylindcr cars alto
gether. ccntraliznr on the typo best
Atted for use In q seven passenger car
where Il large surplus Of power is de-
inanded
This assured popularity OF The light
six has apparently bred in the minds
of the public II bolicf that. in time, the
SiN-cyliudcr car may force the -Four"
entirely into the background, as the
seven or eight years ago and as the
two-cylinder ear did the one lunccrs"
OF the earliest days
During the past year VIC have re
ceived great amount Of corrcspon-
dence, indicating that. in the minds OF
the general public, there was q gcnu-
inc doubt 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 arc now
building large quantities OF both
"Fours" aud "SiXcs."
In every case where opportunity has
offered. VIC have declared emphatic
ally that, in our opinion, The six" will
never crowd tho -Four into oblivion
Until some revolutionary Improvement
in motor engineering takes place. there
will always be legitimate demand
for siX-cylinder and four-cyliuder cars.
That tho light popular priced six
has had very distinct influence on
determining the type OF -Four which
will supply tho demands OF the future,
cannot. however, be denied
The six dcfcs competition OF it's
own ground High power and six
cylinders arc already SYNONYMOUS
When one speaks of seven pa ssengcr
capacity, six" is always implied.
The motorist who is willing TO nav
something in addition 10 the minimum,
price to secure neXibility, reserve
| power comfort and luxury will he "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-cylindcrs. They are ready
10 accept Il car of 1Vc-passcnycr ca
pacity. and are willing 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 abso-
lutte minimum on Gasolenc and oil con
sumption Tie $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 "Fours"
And tho "Fours" ii will buy will lie
ears OF five passenger capacity al. less:
cars into which manufacturers have
put the highest quality OF materials
consistent with rock bottom price:
ears designed 10 bring the greatest pos
siblc efficiency in miles per gallon OF
iuei; cars that. in spite OF their low
price, will come TO their owners care
/ iuiiy trimmed and finished, and fully
equipped With all motoring convent
cnces, including electric starting and
lighting systems, finland steer CEN
ire control and every other develop
inent that renders II car thoroughly
MP to date.
In the cases OF both the -Four and
The six" price Is yearly playing
more important part
When motoring Was new. price stand.
ards were elastic, and the adroit sales
man could always make the most OF
exclusive features of design. As the
ears themselves have become more
alike. and as prospective buyers have
learned TO discount sales talk price
Las become an increasingly vital elc.
ment. Now a buyer must be shown a
dollars worth of additional value for
every dollar, in purchase price nor is
II easy To d6lude him longer with any
subterfuge
TO sell cars chcaply. manufacturers
must produce both "Fours' and
skies" in great quantities. or this
fact the public has become fully aware.
one of the marked trends of the market
during the last year has been this In
creased wisdom regarding inanurac-
turcrs-thcir scope, permanence and
financial stability These elements. too.
play an active part in nearly every
sale.