The Washington herald., 1916-08-06
EMERSON -four"
A QUALITY AUTO.
Low Price Made by Big Pro-
duction Instead of Cheap
Construction.

son -Four has received a more salts
factory reception than almost any new
car that has ever been put on the mar
ket. still the Doubling Thomas" ele-
ment is beginning to come around and
sagely shake their heads and mutter, Tt
can't be done" After seeing the car
on the floor of the New York Show
Room, at 56th street and Broadway, and
minutely examining every part on the
lookout for defects, they walk away and
say, 1T can't be done" They belong
TO the same class of men who did not
believe that the steam locomotive or
the steamboat could be made practical.
Musing along these lines, R. c. Hupp,
Vice President and Chief Engineer of
the Emerson Motors Company, recalled
his experiences in the early days of
motor car production. "I remember very
well when Henry Ford first started to
manufacture low-priced cars in 1903
was at that time with the Olds Mo-
tor Company, and most OF the well
known automobile manufacturers were
banded together in what was known as
the Licensed Association In other words,
they were operating under the so-called
Selden Patents. Among the members Of
the association the general comment was
that the new Ford car could not pos
stbly be a success because it was not
a licensed machine. I myself thought
at the time that this would be a pretty
big hurdle for the new company to make,
as it was quite evident that the manu-
facturers Of parts would be chary OF
doing business with a company that was
likely TO be on the receiving end Of
tremendous legal attack by practically
the whole automobile world.
Neither did they have any experience
In quantity production of motor cars at
the time, and in spite of all this they
went ahead and produced and sold cars
at a price other manufacturers said was
impossible. And so in spite Of those 1T
can't be done people" the company went
ahead. I admired the fighting spirit
shown by the new company and decided
to leave the Olds Works and enter the
arena with them. After two years OF
hard work, during which time I saw the
company grow to great proportions and
prosper, I came to the conclusion that
a good car could be built for even less
mney and still show profit TO the maker
So in lSOS-July. to be exact-I with three
other gentlemen who were not well
known in the automobile world, discussed
plans for the designing and manufacture
of the first HupmObile. The Hupp Motor
Car Company was organized on Novem-
Der 10 Of the same year and the firS
three cars were finished in February, 1903,
followed by the first 500 in August, 1909
AT the start only a few hundred dollars
were available among the party of my
self and associates, and with this we
went ahead and rented a factory. equip
ped 1t to assemble cars, including motors,
tranSmissiOns and axles In view OF our
small working capital it was extremely
difficult to find people who would sell US
parts. etc, and it was with the utmost
difficulty that the source of supply could
be kept open. Practically none Of the
larger supply companies would have any
dealings with US and the outlook was not
OF the best, to say the least. Those with
whom We talked regarding the sale of
the cars invariably questioned our ability
to produce a good car for what was then
the lowest price a car had been offered
$50. But the sample car looked well
and ran well. and, strange as it may
seem. these two points created more
skepticism than if it had not performed
so we'll They figured that we had put
into these samples better materials and
than We could afford to give
in subsequent production, and that after
had been made and deposits
paid by dealers future cars would be
skimped and cheapened. But as the COM
pany went along and the public COM
menced to realize that the cars being
produced were not only as good as the
samples, but had even been improved as
to minor details. the Hupmobile became
a Nine Days Wonder
And this brings US down to the present
day and the new Emerson Four We
are now going through the same period
or development that was weathered by
the Ford and Hupp companies. We are
now meeting the doubters who do not
believe that we can produce this car for
S395. Right here I want to say that it
IS much more ecOOomicaI 70 uSa ,,,a+arioI
OF good quality and to have the general
design of a car up to date than to try
and use inferior materials and design.
which in the process of manufacture
would probably give trouble and in al
great manp cases require doing the work
over. rejecting a high percentage of
parts, and dissatisfaction in general, both
as to looks and operation when the car
Is In the hands Of the public. We believe
that II Is very easy matter to under
stand, but at the same time hard to
explain that in using materials of good
quality and following a simple design. a
maker can by producing in large
Quantities give a car to the public that
will give a good account of itself and
viii. in fact, sell itself, thereby reducing
the cost OF sales to a minimum. While
tnere Will not be an abnornally large
profit on each car, the large sales and
production in the aggregate will make |
FOR very substantial and attractive
profits.
Due credit must be given to Henry
Ford for conceivtng and carrying out the |
Idea that a low priced car and a small |
profit on each, coupled with large |
quantity production, is the real way TO |
achieve the greatest success in the manu-
lacture OF automobiles, and the position !