New-York tribune., 1918-01-11
Rounded Body
Lines Give Way
ToSharpAngles
'Streamline' Gets New In
depreciation in Touring
Cars at Show
By c. E. T. Scharps

BY &. T.. Scharps
Streamlinc has conc somewhat into
the discard for automobile bodies. to
Judge by what is seen at the show in
Grand Central Palace By that is
meant streamline as it used to be in
:crpreted. The object was formerly to
Sc. a rounded contour, although at
tho same time making a general wedge
shaped body so as to achieve the re-
suit of lessening wind resistance.
Now the body builders are following
scheme of sharp angles. That is, they
carry line from the radiator straight
back to the rear end tire carrier. The
top of the bonnet is at straight right
angle TO the sides. and it is this line
which is produced along the level of
the tops of the doors in touring models.
in general this idea was first carried
out in the Packard line. Others have
since produced cars of like body out
line. At the show such makes as the
Stearns, Cole, Studebaker Chg g. and
Owen Magnetic, to name others, are
showing bodies like this. In many
cases the body has bevelled edge
along the sides, which adds to the at
tractivencss.
1t usually is discovered that there is
nothing really new in body design, and
TO doubt this straight line tendency is
something borrowed from foreign coach
makers, perhaps those British body
Ters u-bO "a fC find
that would fit the lines of cars such
as Rolls Royce, Napier and Daimler,
particularly the former, with its very
sharp angled bonnet.
The Rolls-Roycc has had another in
1uencc on American makers, too, as can
be observed from the Murray and the
Roamer, among others. The idea seems
10 be with these folks to build some
thing that looks like the R-R. at least
as far as the hood is concerned.
The idea OF making a car that looks
like other and perhaps more famous
witness the departed S. G. ", which
looked as much like the Lancia, bar
the namcplate, as the Lancia itself. In
this, as some one once remarked of the
art of man actor who portrayed
women on the stage, the most difficult
thing is to get ones own consent to
do it.
Reports from the show now are all
on the cheerful side. 1t may be lit
tie monotonous and partake of same
ness to keep Oh reporting that the
show is now drawing like house afirc,
but it doesn't strike the exhibitors that
way. They would like to be deeply
bored with reports of that sort right
along. They figure it is about time that
the show became a big puller.
Attendance yesterday was right up to
the best standards, and it appears that
in the two days yet to come interest
viii increase rather than abate. There
has been some talk, too, that people
are buying cars. A few real sales at
showtime 80 far to hearten up the
makers and dealers. Especially the
dealers, for they are temperamental
sort. It doesn't take much to make a
dealer peosimistic. In fact, some of
them are that way much of the time,
and moro SO if they happen to be loaded
up with cars that don't sell themselye
pretty much
Come to think of it, "dealer" is a
good name for some of them. They
deal them out, as a man dealing
cards. II customer comes along and
says "Pll take two" the dealer hands
en- out. But from the attitude OF
some dealers they constantly expect
the public to say: "I'll play these
Some one writing about salesmanshir
said recently that the average sales
man isn't surprised when he gets q
rundown. His surprise comes wher
ne gets An order. That's the way il
Is with some automobile sellers.
Of course, these are the few, and no.
Really. the dealer needs all our bes
sympathy these days, because his busi
ness has been hard hit. He ought t,
Eet--ln fact, with most factories i:
now getting-thc maximum of assist
ance from the manufacturer unit
times arc better.
For the time being. price increase.
appear to have stopped. But this is NJ
guarantee that cars will not be vastl.
moro expensive by springtimc. On,
OF the hardest things for manufactur
ers to decide right now is the pric'
on new stuff. either actually announced
or just about to be announced
For instance, although the cars ar,
actually before the public. neithe
INC little Overland nor the Holmes ha
a stated price. This comes about yer,
SIMPLY, because costs which obtaine,
at the time the cars were planned n,
longer govern. Then, too, of course
the amount of production influence
the price to be charged.
Naturally, if you are going to max
900 of something, the overhead dis
trlhuted over hat number is less t,
each car than if only 100 units are t,
DC made Hence, although it may seen
strange to have cars out, and vet b,
able to give only an approximate price
alter all II isn't SO odd a state of af
fairs.
a little bit of interesting history O.
men we'll known in the industry. |,
1886 William c. Durant and J. D. Dor
formed the Flint Road Cart Company
Ten years later they changed the nam,
TO the DurantDort Carriage Company
Al.