The Washington times., 1923-12-25
BUILDERS Plan
B|G MOTOR
OUTPUT
May Reach 5000. 900 Cars
Next Year, Manufacturers
Now Indicate.
BY MARSHALL b. WALKER.
COsmopOlItan News Service.

Cosmopolitan NEWS SeTy1Ces
DETROIT, Mich, Dec. 25.-Highly
gratified over the results Of the last
twelve months, automobile manu-
facturers are looking ahead into
1924 with full confidence that the
new year holds for them conditions
that win compare favorably with
1928.
Although only a small percentage
Of them will forecast greater things
than in the last year, leaders are
unanimous in optimism, and on the
face of what each Individual COM
pany chief says it expects to do,
the total achievement of 1924 should
far exceed anything accomplished
so far.
Production will go far beyond the
1000, 600 mark established this year
and may reach 5,000,000; employ
ment will be better; nearly a quar-
ter of a billion dollars will be spent
in factory expansions; competition
will be so keen that many have gone
so far as to call it an industrial
war, and as result some few of
the companies less soundly estab-
lished financially may go under,
and prices may come down in some
lines.
All this, of course, hinges on the
probability of no unforeseen obsta-
Gle entering the industrial world
during the year.
Future prospects so far as De-
troit is concerned are best indicated
in the attitude of dealers, nearly
all of whom have formulated their
programs for 1924 and entered into
contracts for motor car allotments.
1t is significant that the heads of
the two concerns which nanufac-
ture Is per cent of all the motor
vehicles in the country, Ford and
General Motors Corporation. have
predicted prosperity for 1924.
Inventories Shortened.
Factories have been closing for
inventories, but this period is being
cut to the shortest possible time
this year and the work will De
completed in about ten days. Each
month during 1923 has seen an
increase in output over the CORE.
spending month of 1922, and 1924
bids fair to keep up this record
Ford has been making around
900 cars daily and expects to In.
crease to 5000 by spring and may
go to 10000 later.
Hupp expects to ship about $4,000
cars in 1924 as compared with
80, 600 this year. Buick will build
$4,000 to 100000 cars in 1924
going into the New Year with a
daily output of 900 to 1000. WHY'S.
Overland plans call for at least
100000 during the next IL months.
Studebaker plans to make 10000
cars the first quarter. Ricken-
hacker will be making 100 daily
the first of the year. Dodge will
be making approximately 1000
daily. Chandler will increase out
put to about $4,000 over 1880 In
1923. Jewett production will jump
to 500 daily. Hudson-Essex will
build nearly 500 daily
Past Year Sets Record.
Figures for the last four years
show how 1923 outranks all others.
In 1920 production was 2,205 1877;
1921, 1,435.161; 1922, 2,334.171: 1923,
approximately 1000, 900.
During the past year the general
tendency of automobile prices has
been downward. Price changes
were made by about fifty companies
and the average price now - about
3 per cent lower than January /,
1928. OF twenty-five reductions,
seventeen came during July, August
and September. The largest reduc-
ton were in closed models.
With the greater demand land
1924 is expected to see the closed
car predOTninating) some manufac.
turers predict they may ultimately
undersell the open models.