The New York herald., 1921-01-09
FAD CHANGES IN
AUTOS ARE UNFAIR
Constant Style Alterations in
Cars Are Hard on the
Owners.
BY ALyAN MACAULEY.


President Packard Motor Car ConspGny.
Two factors which have had an in
-reasing influence on the design of mo-
tor cars in the last few years are maxi
ing 1t more and more important. from
the point of view of the owner. that
styles" shall change as little as possi-
BILE. Every considerable change OF this
kind costs car owners many thousands
of dollars, since the appearance of a
new model means that the resale value
OF the cars they are driving will de-
crease very greatly. The car owner Is
coming to realize that this loss should
not be inflicted upon him without good
reason.
The first OF the factors that have
caused this situation is that the auto
mobile which for many years could
rightly be- considered a luxury, is one
no longer. but has become one of the
most important and valuable Of eco
nomic servants. AS a result, people are
buying automobiles, not for amusement
or ostentation, but for very real SER
vice, and man regards the money he
puts into one as an investment He
wants, and is entitled to expect, full
value. and he will not get 1t If the In
vestment he makes is going to be sub
feet to heavy and sudden depreciation
as result of somebody's whim.
The second factor is that cars are
now good for many years of life. Cars
now In use will give first class service
for from five years up; high grade cars
being built to-day will last for eight or
ten years and more. Here again, it Is
unjust to the owner and economically
wrong to throw a perfectly good and
serviAable car into the class of inferior
things merely because OF some urin-
portant change in the shape or design
of the body.
Finally. motor car design has now set
tied down to point where the major
problems have been solved and such
changes as can be made from year 10
year will chiefly be in the nature OF
minor details. Changes In the style of
automobiles were necessary and not
harmful during the earlier years of mo-
tor car development. In those days me-
chanical improvements were being made
so rapidly that each years automobiles
were a distinct advance over those or the
year before. The changes in appear
ance represented an actual change in
the value and serviceability Of the car
itself In those days, too motor car de-
signers had many lessons to learn In
regard to lines that would give the best
appearance and designs that would give
the greatest comfort.
There are two distinct kinds of style,
as may be seen In such things as dress:
Every one knows the changing fads
which move the bottom of woman 81
skirt from her knees to her ankles and
back within a few years. or whichi
change a mans shoes from toothpich,
points to bulldog swing. These are the
styles which represent little. II anything.
beyond the desire Of the manufacturers
to replace goods that are not yet worn,
out and the desire of certain types OF,
Yeople to have clothing a little differ
ent from that OF others.
But every ofa knows also the style,
that Is Inherent and. that does not,
change, because It is b1.sed. on true
beauty and fitness. We all knox wom-f
en-. for example, whose clothing does not.
follow the extreme changes OF fashion,
but Is even more distinctive and far,
more beautiful because 1t Is designed I'M
good taste and selected to enhance their
own particular charms.
Since the high grade motor car IS
designed to-day to give safe and COM,
Portable transportation for many years.
and not to answer the demands of SONS
passing fad 1t should be built IN con-.
formity with the true principles of per-
manent beauty and therefore Of stytos
Whims have as little place In the de-,
sign of such cars as any other form OF
bad taste would have. They should be
designed not only for beauty but to give
due expression to the power and pur-
pose of the car, and II they are 30 le-
signed there II no excuse FOR arbitrary
changes from year to year.