New-York tribune., 1922-09-29
Public Interest
In Closed ]! Cars
A Big Surprise
Dealers Plan ON a Boom
Market as Attendance
and Sales Increase at
Grand Central Palace
To-day Il Society Day
Physicians Night, Unex-
planned, viii Close the
Exhibition I o. Nh orrow

The automobile dealers who are ex-
hibiting their newest models at the
closed car show in the Grand Central
Palace, which ends tomorrow night,
expressed themselves as agreeablv
surprised at the interest taken in the.
exhibition by the public, as evidenced
by the high average of'attendance and
the number of sales reported by vjr-
tually every exhibitor. There is every
reason, they say. to expect highly
successful reason In the coming
months and they are planning On
boom market. .
The first attempt to hold a show
limited to closed models was made a.
year ago, and as result Of the encour-
agement received then the experiment
was repeated. All exhibitors agreed
that the experimental stage has passed
and that this type of exhibition has be-
come a permanent fixture in the in
dustry. ff
Closed Car Output Up
The dealers say that the automobile
buying public has consistently shown
an increasing interest in the closed
model, and that this increase is evil
denced by the fact that the production
OF this type jumped from II per cent
OF the total number of cars manufac-
tured in 1920 to 22.1 per cent of those
manufactured in 1921. Figures COM
piled from factory sales show that of
the total number of cars sold in Jan
uary,, 1922, % per cent were closed
models. In July, which is admittedly
an open car month, if any may be SO
termed, the percentage of closed mod
els sold was %.
1t was said also that because of this
increasing preference for the closed
car, the attention of the best design
ers has been attracted, with the result
that the dealers believe the finest
types of bodies to-day are to be found
in the closed models.
The apparent appreciation of these
facts on the part of the buying public
has been in evidence ever since the
opening Of the show last Saturday
night, it is said. The first car sold was
reported within d few minutes after
the doors We're, opened, and inside of
the first hour there were several more
dealers claiming the honor of being
the first to make, q sale. Since then
the sales have continued steadily.
Jack and Marilynn Buy
After several visits to the show on
successive days, Jack Pickford and his
wife, Marilynn, finally decided on n
car to their taste and bought one of
the highest priced cars in the exhibit
ton. Among others reported as pur-
chasers during the show are Nicholas
T. Brady, Bird S. Coler, William Ran
dolph Hearst, Fred A. Muschenheim,
James Speyer and Lindley NJ. Garrison
This apparent desire Of the public to
attach its signature to sales contract
without much hesitation is considered
by the automobile merchants an excel
lent sign, and they are, of course, hop
ing that the fever is contagi Gus.
The merchants also are proud of the
attendance, and though no official fig
uress have yet been issued, it is known
TO be much greater than last year.
The dealers are becoming almost boast
full about it and declare that even the
national exhibition will have to step
lively in order to surpass their show
ing,
Yesterday was designated as Safety
Day by the show committee, and many
features. were Incorporated in its OBJ
servance. Several exhibitors Of safety
devices We're prssent and gave demon
strations. The greater part of the pro-
gram was under the auspices of the
Safety Institute of America, which is
directed by l.. V. Coleman. In the eve
nlng the show committee held recep-
ton for that organization, and pre-
sented TO it an Endorsement of the ma
tion wide safety movement, in the
name of the Automobile Merchants
Association.
To-day, through virtue of being Fri