New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-11-30
Cars de Luxe
The Keynote
OF Salon
Quality the Feature of the
Fifteenth Automobile Sa.
ION. Held Recently at
the Hotel Commodore

The Automobile Salon Of 1919. which
was held recently in the Hotel Com
modore. was marked by o notable I'd
vance in motor design and In coach
work.
', One factor Of engine design was
4 Giciently prominent to be described
As definite trend. and this was the
use Of -four rather than Of a greater
number of cylinders. This is a ten
dency which has been freely predicted
by experts for some time.
Another general impression created
by the salon cars of this year was
that Of great length; notably so with
the new Locomobiles, in which the
front tenders were carried back on
the running boards in such a way as
70 make chassis actually very long
appear still longer. The bodies shown
~ the Loeomobile booth were notable
both for quiet good taste in treat
nent ard for exceedingly complete
equipment.
On the Delage a typical specimen
Of French workmanship Of the highest
order. were displayed several details
Of unusual interest An open body Of
sporting type had adjustable cylindri.
cal footrests in the tonnesu, which
were attached to the body by buckled
straps. The smaller lamps on this car
were In the form Of frogs eyes set
into the natural wood base Of the
windshield
The Renault chassis. smother Of the
French contributions to the exhibition,
showed changes In the form Of . three
point suspen sion for the motor, new
starting system and the use Of q motor
Of the en- bloc type instead Of the
familiar cylinders cast in pairs. Some
very beautiful examples Of elaborate
coachwork were also to be seen at this
booth. including a coupe limousine by
Kellner, the interior Of which was n
marvel Of the cabinetmsker's art,
finished in panels Of inlaid wood Of
light tone.
One Of the most attractive and most
practical bits Of body design was q
four-passenger runabout by Brewster
on chassis Of the same make. This
car, finished in olive drab. had unusual
touches from dash to tailooard. 1t
was Of the convertible type. with two
extra seats contained in rumble. BY
aetaching the front Of the carpet in the
improvised baby tonneau. made by
opening the rumble. very neat and
rigid top for the front seat was dis
closed, Folded down in boot. The
whole design was intensely chic, and
showed evidence Of careful study Of
the actual requirements Of the road.
In the Meteor four-passenger sport
ing model, rakish and alluring piece
Of design all through. the speedometer
dial was set into the toe board. in i'm
mediate juxtaposition to the accel-
orator, a position where it fell natu-
rally and instinctively under the
iriver's eye. -.
On the Porter car. newcomer this
year. Q distinct improvement was the
oacine Of the motometer dial on the
extreme right Of the instrument board
"a location in which it is much
more easily legible than when mounted
on the radiator cap. This chassis was
one of these to employ four-cylinder
motor of powerful and clean-cut type.
The open bodies shown had the flaring
SIDES of q modified boat tfpe with
beveled edges, while the closed bodies
were notable for an impression Of great
length and size.
Another Of the four-cylinder cars to