New-York tribune., 1921-03-06
Beauty in Cars Is
Popular Because
1t Is Practical
Fad Machines Give Way to
Those Designed in Body
and Chassis To Be of Most
Service, Says Mcdonald
pv Stewart Mcdonald
p~.~.5<-> Moon Motor Car Co.


uow much weight does mere beauty
.rry with the prospective buyer of a
.A a.or car Perhaps 81 great deal, But
aa.s he realize that what is considered
W. lax, word IN beauty of design to-
M ~ hss become so only because it is
p'1is The automobile industry is in its in
t.r,v. but it has progressed by leaps
I'D bounds Just picture in your
~.;nd's eye the automobile of decade
"ro and then look at 1921 model.
W6st has caused all these changes
practicability. They represent the
ash;eyenlents of men looking forward
olwavs to better motor cars, more prac-
real motor cars, until the luxury of
yesterday has become the necessity of
to-day.
cheering was marked by some great
,mnrovement OF course. occasionally
.o,ne manufacturer viii bring out fad
car. Naturally number Of people will
buv il for It's gingerbread beauty,
hut its popularity Is short lived. be-
cause the motor car, like everything
else. IS sub. ect 20 that old law, Beauty
$ only enduring when it is coupled with
nract tcability." 1t is true that at first
Glance the practical things may not
seem beautiful. but as their useful
ness becomes apparent so IN like meas
ure does their beauty.
Take the old horseless carriage, con-
sidered the utmost in beauty, with its
great high wheels, heritage OF the
old buggy days But with the building
q cars of greater speed the lower
wheels became necessary. How UNI
calmly and out OF all proportion they
frst appeared. But they were prac-
.ical They brought the center Of
-rsvity lower and made far safer driv-
ng. To-day how unheautlful the high
wheels would look.
Il is hard 20 believe that At one tim
the only means of access to the ton
neau vas a door in the rear Then
came the doors on the sides They
we're greeted with derision. 1t was a
fool idea" And when finally the car
With four doors appeared it was called
~boxv.' bulky" 1t Just wasn't liked.
But il was practical 1t gave the car
q streamline effect that reduced wind
resistance to minimum. Who to-day
will deny that this design is beautiful ?
Then there was the time when head
lights were stuck way out in front.
They looked all right as long as you
Kept your distance, but the slightes
hump meant 4 new set Of headlights.
For this reason they were moved back
near the radiator. Of course, they
didn't iook Ike the old-fashioned car
rage lamps. but they were practical
To-day they are q thing OF beauty.
And 50 it goes. Things, though once
seeming beautiful, did not endure he
cause thes lacked practcability, while
those Innovations which at first seemed
ugly are now beautiful because they
have proved practical. Practicability
is me final test.
One thing is certain. Design has
reached the point where changes in 4he
next ten years will not be as notice
able as they have been in the last ten
No, because the engineers are asleep
on the job-they are working every
minute But future improvements will
not be visible TO the casual eye. They
will be in the mechanism fuel
consumption, easier riding qualities
aud other details that will bring the
cost Of operating an automobile to =
minimum
Withou. a doubt when changes arc
made trey will be from the standpoint
Of nracticabilitv and not fad.