The Washington times., 1922-07-30
CHANGING NhNE
::OE. TOURING CAR
.T0PHAETON HIT
Editor Of Motor criticises Wis
= = dom Of Automotiye Engi-
~ =. neers Responsible.

=, The work of the Society OF Auto
motive Engineers in the automo-
q bile Industry has been so generally
beneficent that 1t is with great re-
Kret that we feel called upon to
criticize a recent action Of that
= august body, says the editor Of
Motor" ....t. (,
1.-THE nomenclature division of the
organization in a series of sheets
intended for binding into the s. A.
90 r. handbook gives a revision or
automobile body nomenclature.
Most Of the familiar names are re-
tanned, but one astonishing change
is made. For the traditional term
touring = car Is. substituted the
equally meaningless and almost un-
known name "Phaeton."
"a footnote Is added explaining
the change. Indeed the promulga-
tors appear to realize that their
action will need some pretty stren-
uous explaining. The reason for re-
commencing the use of the term
phaeton instead of the term touring
is that the latter has lost its sig
nificance as applying to any partic-
ular type OF body. as all types are
used for touring.
Why Retain Roadster.
II the nomenclature division OBJ
jects to the term touring, how can
2 it rsconcile itself to roadster" ("
which is retained in the handbook? ?
/ We might quote their own footnote
\ against them and ask what signifi-
1 canoe the name roadster has, since
n all types are used on roads.
] There is needed much clearing
/ up of uncertainty in this matter OF
/ automobile body nomenclature and
\ the 8. A. e. is exactly the organiza-
I ton to accomplish the task, but we
| cannot help believing that they have
l made a serious blunder in this
\ present case. 1t is quite true that
/ the term touring car never had any
\ per sc significance. g.
Few almost to the vanishing point
| have been the individuals who have
/, been able to buy a certain type OF
Il open car for use exclusively in tour
h ing. Practically all cars, whether
open or closed. aresaH purpose We,
hicles. What has happened, however,
Is that general acceptance of the
II term touring car" has given IT a
II significance and established II; as a
4 standard to describe a certain type
/ of open car. No inconsiderable mum
| ber Of words in our rich and flexible
I language began life with a totally
N 'tferent meaning from the one with
Il hich gradually changing usage
came to endow them. So, while the
II term touring car is not an exact de
scriptive, popular acceptance and
N usage have given it a direct and def
II mite meaning. 1t is serving a useful
X purpose among automotive terms.
lI 'Phaeton" Not Descriptive.
'This being the case. it would have
to be a particularly apt term that
could hope to displace the time-hon.
III ored one. But the word phaeton is
X no such apt descriptive. II means
nothing at all in the automobile field
X except in a very limited way. and ii
would take years of common usage
n to endow 1t with any definite sig.
II nificance.
81 1T is usually a mistake to attempt
to overturn standards, once the gen
y oral public has established them. II
7 the term phaeton had been used from
the beginning of the motor era to de.
scribe certain type OF open car, II
h would be foolish to try and substi-
u tute touring car or even a more ex.
Iact descriptive The foolishness lies
in the fact that the y neral public
usually refuses to accept any such
llchange and clings stubbornly to the
term which it has sanctified by usage
land that is precisely what it will
N do in this case"