Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-02-03

na5f inches The same periodical, as
result of its summaries, reports:
ThreGspeed gear boxes have almost
entirely displaced fours on account OF
the greater flexibility Of the high
speed engine. Battery ignition has
shown 100 Per cent gain since the
cars of 1915. The tendency is bearing
strongly toward construction of en-
gines with removable cylinder heads.
Overhead valves and the thermo-
syphon cooling system also grew in
popularity last yeal. Seventy-one
per cent Of the 1917 cars have vacuum
fuel feed. " ~.
What are the tendencies in body
design? For each one of Inc 16 types
of bodies lately defined by the
| Society of Automobile EngiReers there
will probably always be a place of
greater or minor Importance. but at
this time the main endeavor Is con-
centrated on evolving the body that
will best span the seasons Much<prog-
ress has been made toward the an-the-
| year-round car in the last two years.
end the National Automobile Show re-
veals a still further advance toward
| this ideal In fact in adaptability 10
/ seasonal changes, in the ease and
readiness with which the summer car
can be converted into the winter car,
it will be difficult to imagine how
much more Improvement could be
made than that displayed in the 1917
| models of this style. ."t>
This does not mean that the aim
Of the designers is Concentrated on
one type of body. in fact there are
several that admirably exemplify this
adaptability to the different times Of
the year, but unquestionably the most
prominent development of this kind
among the 1917 models is the open
sedan" that is, the car so constructed
that its glass sides may be lowered
so as to leave the space entirely clear
from the glass front to the back
Numerous automobile makers have
| come out this season for the first
time with this. style of body. One of
the most recent announcements was a
car of this kind for $1,000, and there
was then one of the well known makes
on the market considerably less than
this: thence the price ranges upward
as high as one desires to go. Prob
ably more manufacturers have added
this type of car to their list than any
other style III ...E
Next to the open sedan the two or
three seated car with. collaDsible top,
the coupelet. or with detachable top,
the convertible coupe. will in all like
lihocd be found to hold second place
in the seasons tendency in body
styles. Third. the roadsters of clover
leaf and cub type will occunv a more
prominent nlace at the show than ever
before The years production of
roadsters in comparison with the tour
ing car is not known, hut If it were
III would undoubtedly show a strong
relative gain The eompactness of
the roadster with. at the same time
provision for roomjness, has had
decided appeal and the ingenuity ex-
hibited in adding to the number of
seats in the roadster has been one of
the most interesting developments in
recent body design.
The popularity of the roadster type
has made itself felt in the makes of
the highest-priced cars and one can
a
car with seats for but two persons.
say In fact. lessened seating canac-
ity. that is. doing away with surplus
! room. seldom If ever used, is a note
worthy tendency i'm 1917 automobile
design. This, too, irrespective of
price. Some Of the most costly town
cars in new models seat but two or
three persons. =: MY.
Bodies are made smaller and the
lines skilfully drawn so as to empha-
size the chassis, vital part of the
car which a large body may try to
ignore. but never successfully. There
is true relation between the chassis
and the body. and designers are bring
ing this proportion more into effect
1t is what is called 'sketchy," the
drawing into the design of nervous
vital line, vibrant with expression.
So. too. the convertible idea has af-
fected the highest-priced cars, show
ing how full of life this idea is. In
some OF the custom-made bodies of the
season. in which the cost was but a
secondary consideration, the space be-
tween the chauffeur and the owner is
no longer sharply divided. The glass
window behind the drivers seat is
made SO that it may be lowered, and
in the Berline type the whole car may
thus be thrown into one compartment.
This elasticity is at the owners be-
hest: If he desires to drive he may do
so without submitting to the isolation
OF the typical chauffeur seat.
Automobiles have resisted the tend
ency toward higher prices better prob
ably than any other manufactured ar
ticle OF promInence. There have been
advances in the prices of individual
makes of motor cars ever since tie
beginning of last year, and for the
last two months these have been
much more numerous, but compared
with the value of the car, the average
increase in price is comparatively
small In list Of $50 companies. 81
advanced their price during 1916.
though some OF these increases do not
become effective until February OF
this wear. Increases in the price OF
cars selling for under $1,000 range
from $40 to 800. and the average is