The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1919-12-04
New Standard OF Testing

building or motor cars, mas under
gone marked advancement during the
last few years. New standards have
been created and new mechanical
testing devices have been per ee,ed
to keep pace with the development
of the automobile itself.
II remained for the WHY'S Over
land Company, however, to supply the
supreme test to its latest model
Overland 4 which has just been an
nounced. This test. it is believed,
has established new standards of
testing and refinement of details TO
make car practically perfect me-
chanically before it goes to an owner,
The history of the development.
building and testing of Overland 4,
which introduces the new three point
spring suspension. covers period of
years The car Is the product of
decade of progressive engineering
achievement toward the ideal light
weight car; of years intensive en-
gipeering experiment and two years
actual demonstration and test in all
kinds of weather and all sorts of
roads.
During the two years of test, Over
land WAS given 100000 miles of &C
tual road demonstration. That's
ten times around the world before a
single car went on the market
These tests were of great value to
the engineering and the production
departments of the Willys-Overland
Company and, finally, to the man who
buys the car. A staff of engineers
studied the car during these $4,000
miles of test to determine every re-
fnement and improvement that might
/ be necessary to make the car when
1t went on the market free from ser
/ vice troubles and of assured economy
in operation and perfect ease of rid
ing because of new three-point
springs.
The value of 100000 miles of ex-
/ haustive testing may further be judg
ed from the comparison with the
usual custom of sending new car
into the market after it has been
pounded on roads in some $4,000 to
$4,000 miles of demonstration. Over
land 4, 1t is said. is the first car that
I has gone on the market with a pedi-
gree of perfect production after two
years of constant testing.
The section of the country picked
4 for these tests was in Natures labor
atory OF the west-Colorado,
New Mexico and Arizona. There ma
ture seems unfinished, a rough, rock
strewn. tortured country. 1t was
there that the engineers decided that
the new three point suspension
springs could be given a supreme test
to develop the uneXcelled ease of rid
} Ing which they have now introduced.
Accordingly a fleet of Overland As
were sent into this section. A staff
: of engineers accompanied the cars to
, watch every hour of performance. In
: Colorado the cars were set to work
scaling mountain sides, twisting and
turning around the hairpins turns OF
the PERCEPTIONS cliff and mountain
sides and rolling over the boulder
, strewn roads There was plenty OF
, mud-seas of 1t, thick and sticky as
glue, hub and running board deep
In New Mexico, there were great
} stretches of deep shifting sand, which
Threaten to rack and twist the frames
of ordinary motor cars. In Arizona
there were great stretches of plain
e innumerable rivers and streams &c
, ford, worse mud than ever before and
stretches Of road that were 80 rough
and tortuous that they resemblec
! saw tooth blades of scraggy, SHARP
rocks No better testing ground car
, be found than In the Rocky Noun
tains.
t Over these roads, Overland was
. pushed to the utmost Days were
= spent in mud, in streams. twisting
through rocky defles. scaling bould
! er-sprinkled hill and mountain sides
The drivers were amazed night after
night with their freedom from fatigue
because of the easy riding of the cars
due to the wonderful three point
spring suspension
! The three point springs he'd saved
, the cars. had given a new ease and
, comfort TO the drivers; the balanced
, light construction had conquered the
worst OF the roads. the power of the
car itself had pulled It out of road sit
nations in which horses were founC
hopelessly mired and dozens Of auto
mobiles were passed, sunk deep ant
I immovable
, While these tests were going on
q other teets we're being made In thu
country within a radius of 300 miles
Of the factory.
The new three point suspension
= springs had done everything the en-
r gineers he'd hoped for in introducing
. an almost uncannv ease of riding; thu
v all-stee1 construction of the car gave
r it stamina unusual In any ligh
car II was in these tests that Thu
a Wiilye G"cT'a"d Company developed
/ the phraac ahich describes Overland
o 4 hecauen of re three point springs
!, as the nuei important improvement
:, r.ct1. SO s1o"truction since pneU