Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-23
UPWARD TREND OF AUTO
PRICE IS NEAR AN END
dealers DO Not Expect Prices on
Cars to Continue Since 1917
Models Are Announced.
AVERAGE INCREASE is SMALL
9n'ce January I Only Twcnty-TI,rce
companies Have Made Advances,
IN Some Instances Only Ono Mod
81 Being Affected.

with material aud labor both cost
''li- more. II was predicted at tho be-
: ming Of the year that tho now sea-
son would show decided advance in
lNc prices OF cars. rho cost Of ma
'Niai ia some lines was ,nor" than
VI Holo and the cost of LABOR increased
not less than J" per cent. it was
estimated Soon after the opening Of
INC 1915 season the first announcement
e. An increase In price Was made. 9th
followed. The LIST shows that since
' 'huarv l. twcnty-thrcc companies
y ire made advances In price. ~ some
'ses only one model bctn- affected.
others all tho models Of the given
Z 'iupany. but in no instances were tbs
'ditipns large compared with The old
ice Of the oar. tho greatest increase
vas ESQ. aud tho car concerned her.
al rrc yiously sold for So 500 In sew
e'al Instance 500 was added TO tho
price Of cars selling above $3.50. Some
cars listed from $500 UP TO SCOOP
zero Put M 500 ia price. On tie
i wer-nriccd automobiles the advanced
ns"d from g. 10 $50 F"rty-sovcn
'Nodels arc represented in tho list Of
NOS" advanced in price.
The announcement Of 1917 models
as mol in tho main been marked by
we" increases In prices, says tn" New
orh Times. The opinion Of au;omo-
hll" dealers asked about tho subject
las' week is that no decided ADVANCE
10 prices is TO be expected unless some
nusual change or conditions should
"ccur one Of them who has been cru-
nectch with the Now York trade 70,
ONE time said:
In MY opinion. the new wear viii
nov prices much as they now are.
There may he some further small i'm
leases. but do not look for any gen
cal advance, as seemed 10 he fore
u ha
ditons which automobile makers have
tn meet have not s"own more difficult
IN tho last fcw months. II seems to
ne III" general opinion that the costs
~ materials have reached their high
point. Tho foreign orders 81 the muni-
Won makers arc falling Off. aud some
~ ths mportaut materials used By
'ntm are also used In the manufacture
~ the automobilc.
The present conditions not being
new. Il ~ TO be presumed that they
have 10 large extent been met hy tn.
increases in prices already announced
and that these have been on the whole
small speaks with promise for tho fu-
ne Automobile makers would rattle
-educc nriCcs than raise thcm. and
very cConon!% and efficiency arc in
reduced in order % keep the price
iown The great growth Of tho auto,
nobiio industry mas boon through a
= the car. making /; available 10 In
,ividuals and families with smaller
nd smaller incomes. Consider now FOR
series OF years now the tendency Of
1ateriais and labor has been strongly
| pward. with tho advance III price OF
many articles Of manufactures. and
nat in tho face OF this tho scaling
own of the price OF the automobile
has been marked by heavy cuts from
chr 10 year.
since ini1 Ia illustrate. the selling
'ricc or some OF the well-kncwn makes
f7s aeon practically cut i'm half. and
. fcw cases the cut has been do
ri'dly moro than half recall fully
Aalf-dozen standard cars listed a,
round $4,000 in 1917 which Gun HON
bought for less than Sl50n: one
J -cli-known car IN particular that in
| sii sold for S3.63n which with 2,
longer wheel-bnse and a SiN.cylindcr
motor. instead Of four. can now be
purchased for Si.o5" Tho Cour-cvlin-
er model Of this make with some
ming like five uch,a Loss OF wheel
ase can he had now for $50 An
"thcr ear that sold for Sc. o0o then is
sted now ~ sl.ia". has an eight
~ hinder motor instead or a ToHr and
wheel base "f 100 inches instead 81
Is. QUO Of IN" leading ears which was
sted at $3.50 i'm 1911 nov sells FOR
1850 motto" THAI one company has
made reduction iu the price uf new
models there may lac :. i.w other
decreases ri this kind. hat III" period
~ big cuts Is at cnd in my o'iu'on"