El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-02-05
HEAVY BUYING FEATURES SHOWS;
MANY TRAINLOAD ORDERS PLACED
The Big Problem of Automo bile Manufacturers at the
Present Time is to Turn Out Cars Fast Enough to
Keep Pace With the Unusually Large Number of
Orders Placed at the Recent Chicago Show

II there is one tendency more than
any other that is featuring this
Il years automobile SHOWS, II rs the
fact that the shows are proving 0e-
casions for heavy buying Of cars. Inc
inheritance of this is more tully re-
allied when il is recalled that IN past
years the big crowds locKng TO au-
tomobiIe exhibits came more OUT OF
curiosit,- than desire 10 place orders.
The tendency TO buy heavily at
show times is taken as bearing out
predictions made TO the effect that
there NAV be a shortage in cars this
year in view Of the heavy demand. 1t
is ominous also because OF the tact
thah the unprecedented demand at this
season foretells a record year for the
automobile industry.
Among the manufacturers that are
preparing for the heavy business is
The Studebaker corporation, whose fac
tories are working full force TO take
care Of orders for the new series Il
cars The biggest problem now, ac-
cordfng to StudebaEer officials, is 10
turn cut cars fast enough. AS an in
dication Of the policy Of prepared
ness" an output Of 100000 cars is
planned for 1916. based upon the out
look as reported by dealers.
Big Demand In West.
The hitherto unequaled demand for
cars expressed at the New York,
philadelphia. Detroit and other shows
is being duplicated in the middle west,
New records in volume of orders have
been ct at the Chicago exhibit, proving
that heavy buying at show times is
not confined to any one section of the
country but is universal
The 1916 Chicago show might well
be called "train-lOad' show, accord
ing to II. ". Ford,president ana gen.
cral manager Of the Saxon Every
body realizes" said Mr.. Ford. that
each year the Chicago show has become
more and more Of a business show
OF course. it is still, as always, a big
spectacular event. attracting lois or
attention from the public and bringing
in lots Of retail sales. But to my mind
the big important thing-and the thing
that answers the pessimists VINO wonder
how long the show will lasts the
wonderful wholesale business done.
Order Cars Far Amend.
In the first place, more and more
dealers each year are coming to Chicago
from all over the country for the show
In the second place. while at Chicago.
they are placing definite bona fide
orders for the ears they will require
during the rest Of the winter and the
spring-clear up to April
Selling automobiles nowadays is a
merchandising proposition. The wise
merchant is the one who gets his stock
ready and is in a position to supply
the buyer when the buyer wants to
purchase. Automobile dealers are do
ing this, and the Chicago show is the
time when they place their orders for
their spring stOcks'-iust as clothing,
dry goods, jeweiry and other merchants
do.
LAS a result, the wholesale orders
placed with the different companies at
the 1916 show assume impressive pro-
protions. Dealers no longer order Just
so many automobiles Nowadays, il is |
a question Of so many car loads And |
at this years show, 7 find that they [
are ordering in train-load lots That's !
why ] call the 1916 Chicago show
train-load' show
TrninlOnd Shipments Net Unusual.
"A short time ago the shipment Of
a train-lOad Of automobiles TO any one
dealer was the occasion for a big cell |
ebration at the particular factory con-
cerned, with pictures of the train and
much publicity. Nowadays, train-load
shipments from any Of the companies |
Of large production are not uncommon.
We ourselves, during this present show,
have made arrangements for six train !
load shipments to leave the Saxon fac
tory before the last Of February. We
have taken orders from dealers-actual |
orders for early shipment-fOr 300 car
loads Of automobiles
other big companies, 7 am told, are !
having similar experiences. The de- |