The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-29
URGES AUTOS BUILT
FOR FOREIGN TRADE
British Engineer Recommends
Special Models to Meet
Demand.
BIG FIELD FOLLOWING WAR

Tie prophecy mat the nnlsn OF the
war will mean an enormous market
abroad for many sorts OF American made
cars together with recommendation TO
automobile builders in the United States
tn build cars especially for the foreign
trade were points in a talk given last
night at the Automobile Club OF America
by \. Ludlow Clayden, former editor OF
the Automobile Engineer Of London. to the
metropolitan section Of the Society OF
Automobile Engineers Not every sort of
American car will be disable in the mar
kot. because. as Mr.. Clayden explained,
Europe viii be impoverished by the
struggle
Literally huge numbers of automo-
oiles OF all kinds and sizes. both pleasure
type and commercial, are being consumed
10y the armies said Mr.. Clayden. and
will have ceased t. exist absolutely by
the time the war is ended. All Europe
Will be greatly impoverished. for II will
take She work OF generation OF more to
pay the stuptndoUs bills that are being
piled ny boy each Delligcrent nation Vic
tors and v5tnQuishcd alike Will nave TO
apply the whole energies OF their peoples
To repairing the damage "a their national
cNchepuers Vet when the horror OF war
Is past and over there will be a general
striving TO get things back on the old
IoHi.UE OF prosperity lueTe Will pe more
ambition TO work on the part Of the
peoples OF Europe and a far greater free
dom OF action
For these reasons ne believes that very
soon after the fighting has ceased Europe
Will be ready 10 buy from abroad all
sorts OF goods and that exports from this
country In particular will be enormous.
THE American car has sold I'm Europe"
he said and especially OF course in Eng
land by reason Of the usually excellent
value Tor money that II represents.
Despite the war exports are continuing
and after the war. II any one Is little
worse on from "A financial point OF view,
that will encourage the purchase OF things
which are cheap. always provided that
their cheapness Is OF the lasting kind
II is a significant fact that the war has
done far less damage to the British light
car trade than TO the big car makers and
In very many instances people who have
given or sold their big cars to the Gov
eminent are replacing them with Light
cars and finding the little vehicles almost
as useful In all respects and actually
more useful IN some others while the eN-
tremely small cost OF running the light
car Is very much appre, ted. This state
of things will continue long after the
war that Is inexpensive maintenance will
ne as great a recommendation to buyers
OF pleasure cars as will low hrst cost.
80 far the American trade has not
thought II worth their while to manufac-
turo a car or two solely for export though
Il has been done in other less progress
Sve countries. | would like to suggest
that the time is now ripe for real
thresh!ng out OF this subject and that sood
might result u both parties--the manu-
facturers here on the one hand and the
> buying public in Europe on the other.
, 1t il Of course a large undertaking g
> manufacture a car solely for oversee
/. consumption. but II would ne worth Nnii'
/, u the assured market was sufficiently big
! and IL IL going TO he FAR bigger than evel
before. Remember that many u the
European automobile factories are dor
mant 20 far az car production is con
cerued that not a few OF them are de
stroycd, that their workmen are scatterc.
and even their engineering STATS largely
. absent and IL is sufficiently obvious tina
, the European trade will hardly be ready q
tackle changed outlook Immediately
upon the cessation OF hostilities.
Lately the typical American car AM
the typical European have grown NOR
alike in mechanical detail, but less simila
r. in size and pattern. While the moderat
d sized six IL in high favor here. il woul,
% not be thought moderate across the Allan
lite. but rather would be regarded as
Goliath. Consideration Of the very hig
price OF gasolene and oil. OF the marrow
. roads and Of the excellent road sur
faces shows that the small Ave scatter }
o fairly low nominal power Is much bette
suited to tho conditions The light fou
Il / with a nigh speed motor. four spec
a gearboN and possessing no immens
powers OF top speed climbing In the hes
- cheapest and most useful kind OF ca
- ever developed for European service.
is hardly suitable here because the roa
q conditions demand greater weight and TN
taste OF the public Is different In man
| matters OF detail. For instance. In Europ
y IL * very far from essential 10 At a
n electric starter, although the presenc
d thereof doubtless has helped to sell
good many cars imported from tho Unite
States.
. "In one respect cars for export have a
70 ready to be altered this being that tn
:, right hand steering position is needed
=, England and expected on the Contnen
/, although by rights tho now standard lie
ri hand arrangement II the correct one n
all places with a right hand rule OF Oh
, road. II IL to he questioned whether son
." OF the other alterations to make America
20 cars more acceptable to foreign importer
could not be made almost as easily,
j. that TO manufacture for export would M
mean manufacturing from 4 TO Il,
I, 1T Is possible to have fairly deiini
rs ideas about the future state OF the plea
10 urc cnr trade, but the truck business ~
q very different matter We all know no
"a the truck trade IL at tho moment but II
'h the vcricst guessing 10 predict what
'e will he like We have only one fact
20 upon and that IL there will be shor
~ age OF horses for industrial work whiC
must encourage many to adopt mechanics
.. methods OF handling goods years soon,
i than they would otherwise have don
- There is a general impression in Englar
In that the demand will he for the two TOT
ner Rrst Of all, with a possible exceptic
ian tho vehicle OF three tons capacity, bl