New-York tribune., 1921-11-28
Prize Cars of
Six Nations ON
Display Here
Seventeenth Auto Salon at
Commodore Sets Record
for Aristocralic Motor
Display; 81 Makes Shown
Feature New Type Motor
Prices Range From $3, 900
to $4,000; Four-Wheel
Brakes an Innovation

The seventeenth annual Automobile
Salon, which opened last night at the
Hotel Commodore, establishes rec
ord for aristocratic car and coach dis
play. Never before have so many high
class motor cars been shown under one
roof or so many domestic and foreign
makes given representation at this
yearly exhibition.
In keeping with the traditions Of the
salon, no automobile selling for less
than $4,000 was allotted space for the
weeks showing. Cars in the $4,000
class even are negligible at this years
salon, for most Of the thirty-one makes
displayed range in price from $4,000 to
$4,000, inclusive of custom-built
bodies. The whole is the finest lot of
chassis and custom coachwork ever
shown in this country.
"Straight- Eight Motors
While new fashions and Innovations
in body design are rather expected
from year to year, the outstanding
feature of this salon lies in the de-
velopment of chassis design and con-
struction. "Straight-eight" motors
that is, eight cylinders in a row--and
FOUR wheel brakes are two innovations
that already have established their su-
periority by tests both in this country
and abroad.
In the Duesenberg, the American car
with which Jimmy Murphy won the
Grand Prix road race in France this
year, the new braking system works
by hydraulic pressure. The Hispano-
Suiza, reputed to be the highest
priced chassis on the automobile mar
ket, combines the four wheel braking
system with an ease of steering and
lightness of weight which are said to
be remarkable in engineering achieve
ment.
Another car having the four-wheel
brake, as we'll as the straight-eight
cyclinder arrangement, is the Isotta
Fraschini. built at Milan, Italy, and
being exhibited by the Morton w.
Smith Company, of this city.
In custom coach work the salon
eisclcses nothing of radical nature.
New body types are created by changes
In prevailing designs, appearances al
tered by more artistic treatment of
tenders, running boards, lamps, etc
With the incloscd body types, which
are seen to predominate if the naked
chasses are omitted, there is more glass
and fewer panels. Divided wind
shields, divided seats and rounded tops
are construction features in many of
the cars. New standards are set at
this salon in upholstery materials, fit
tings, color effects, in provision for
extra seats, seating comforts and the
score Or more of details, which, in the
aggregate, mar or make the custom
body
EnUIich Sbomr
Among the exhibits that attracted
unusual interest on the opening night
were the Minerva chassis with Brooks
Ostruck body, having polished
aluminium radiator hood and cowl the
English "Sunbeam" chassis with
Rochambeau body, Delage chassis,
which has the four-wheel brakng sys-
tenn; the English Manchester, which
ranks next to the Hispano-Suiza in
price class; Fleetwood bodies on
Packard and Lafayette chassis; a Der
ham coupe body on a Packard chassis;
the Cunningham chassis with body of
the same make; special Packard
chassis with a distinctive body, ex-
hibited by Clarke d. Pease; the small
Spa chassis; the Pierce-Arrow, Rolls
Royce and Locomobile displays.
Six nations-England, France, Bel
GUM, Italy, Germany and the United
States-are represented in this years
salon. The exhibits of thirteen noted
body builders make complete rep
resentation Of the worlds finest motor
"a The h saloA will continue all this week
and will be repeated in Chicago early
in January.