Evening star., 1922-09-24
by WILLIAM GILMAN.

During the past few years probably
no problem has puzzled the prospective
automobile purchaser OF limited buying
mower SO much as deciding which type
ot car would be more desirable, the
open or closed model.
This long and much -tnooted question
is now answering itself with the .ap-
pcarance OF a new type of car which Is
bounding into popular favor among
mo, ,orisIS crywhere-whether they
hold forth in the, arid southwest, the
rain belt. the land OF always blooming
flowers. or the regions of ever-blOwing
chill winds and SHOWS.
Naturally. tho average man VIII" can
afford to own only one ear at time
desires to obtain maximum Use out Of
witst he buys. But he has long realized
that neither conventional open pr
closed model is satisfactory for all pur:
poses, and has long recognized the need
for something combining the advan-
tsces of the two At any rate. he is
now being offered what he wants.
The Combination Cnr.
1t is known. depending upon the par
Iicular manufacturers ideas, as the
coach. the cabriolet gabrielle. business
speCific appelation. it is the combina-
lion car.
Tho difficulty in shopping for this
model is in knowing just what features
of both open and closed cars it ought TO
include. and which of the various cffer-
'nSS on the market come nearest to the
ideal
certain standards of measurement
are necessary: and the first considera .
ton is to understand clearly what
facts have been Instrumental in en-
courasns the production of the COM
hiHation car. With these in mind the
shopper is better able to select cX-
actly what he wants.
The new 3keS into account the
fact that the average men whoSdrives
wants as much fresh air as he can
get. but at the same time does not
want to struggle with the clements
when they are in an off mood. He
does not want to sit in the lap of lux
Iiry. but neither has hc any inclina =
tinn to weather rain. snow, sleet, wind
and hail if it isn't necessary. The
trouble has been right along that
unless one were fortunate enough to
own two automobiles the open car
was frequently too close to nature
and the closed one too far from it.
The conventional closed has its logi
cal place: the open car has its niche
as well. But if a motorist is limited
10 one type he is pretty certain to
he wishing he had the other before
the year Is out. Those who drive both
open and closed cars are in a better
position to speak of the advantages
and disadvantages of the two types
each has its place according to the
season and the weather and that
6 neither one is an -year-rouud type
1t is bacause of this that they drive
itwo cars.
Car for Average Man.
Z II was only logical then to develop
Sthc combination car for the needs OF
the average man. 1t is a car that is
not so heavy as to increase operating
costs not so luxurious as to max e
{the driver feel that he is still sitting
ln his easy chair. not so hermetically
sealed against the elements as to be
fresh AIR proof. 1t is not the sort OF
Scar James would care to drive YOU
fhome from the opera in some zero
evening, but CHANGING to be in this car
JON a freezing night you would find it
"a most satisfactory protector.
Its top doesn't iold back and let
sthe shunshine eat right in. but its
sglass windows are of large dimen-
9sions and when lowered give as much
eair as can be had in the average oper
;car with its top up. 1t is rain-proo'
without being air-tiGht: attractiVelS
upholstered without looking imprac-
gtical for daily use: snug enough fol
sthe coolest day. yet appropriate for
summer picnic.
Not only this, but the new combl-
1tation costs only slightly more than the
conventional open car. thus giving the
buyer the advantages of two cars at
Slightly more than the cost of one
Tn addition, the buyer is able to ell
Coy more use of such car than ne
9would be able to with either a con-
.rentional closed or open model. More
complete use of a car means saving
on other forms of transportation or
Virtually motoring more for less
money.
Competition kcen.
Quite a number of manufacturers
.rc now offering this cOmbinatio
Job or are about to do so. 1t is safe