The New York herald., 1921-01-15
FLEXIBILITY MOST
IMPORTANT IN CAR
Automobiles Which Survive
in Keen Competition VIII
Have This Quality.
BY FRANK j. REESE.
Metropolitan Distributor Jor sta,

Metropolitan Distributor Jor StdHioU
steam Car.
From the first the automobile has
defied prophecy The words OF wisdom
which were applied to it only twenty-fivc
years ago sound silly enough to-day
"the dream of a crank" or can eccentric
toy" or IAN adventurer's vehicle or
''all right for the sportily inclined mill
| ionaire." and. most often repeated and
now silliest of all. too uncertain 10 be
regarded as serious transportation"
It is the public habit to attribute the
position of the automobile to the courage,
energy and resourcefulness of the maxi
ers. to the persistent inventive skill of
the engineers. and especially to a SUI
perlor sort of advertising genius. The
magnitude and stability of the industry
did not spring from these elements, how
ever, even though they are important
factors. They arose rather. out of the
compulsion OF an economic demand. a
primal force instinctively and irresistibly
seeking its end
F'lexbility is the fundamental reason
for the automobile. The primal force
which created it was civilizations need
of greater flexibllity in transportation,
Just as surely as the telephone was ere
ated by the need of more flexible COM
munication, and the printing press by
the need of greater fleXibility in the
spread of knowledge.
Flexibility. therefore, is the merchan-
disc which automobile manufacturers
offer the public. and. of course. the
quality varies with the motive behind
the product. A manufacturer who IS
actuated by the prime instinct of serv-
ing his fellow men by making better and
better automobiles, builds for per-
manency. He Is entitled TO the prestige
and money which come TO him. Manu-
facturers like this build legitimate auto
mobiles, by which we mean cars Of
character backed by the stored power
OF sound engineering, consistent prog
-ess, long success and ample resources,
not only In capital but also in profici-
ency. They merit the pubh's confidence.
Their fund of experience has given them
flexibility TO ride out all the storms OF
the last twenty-five years, which have
beset the industry and wrecked those
manufacturers who looked upon the au-
tomobile business as game and VINO
sold their product on the prestige the
legitimate makers have shed on the In
dustry.
tvpe Of car will occupy the most service
able and permanent place in business.
social and pleasure use, and will survive
longest which supplies the greatest range
Of fiexibility. in the sense that i can
best reach out and meet the conditions
which confront the motor!st. conditions
of road. of load, of traffic. Of tempera-
ture. and especially Of burning the kind
OF fuel at hand.
We believe that the Stanley caXiage's
stored power and 1exibilty. It's control
by one throttle without gear shifting or
clutching, its ability TO respond to the
extreme call for power without carrying
undue weight and complication, its abil-
ity TO burn low grade fuels with assur-
ance. its large percentage of repeat sales
from old customers and It's uninflated
production are factors which build pre-
eminently for permanency.