Evening star., 1923-10-21
CLOSED-CAR POPULARITY
SIGN OF PERMANENCE
Comfort and Protection From Elements
account for Strong Demand of
Standardized Transportation.

| use OF lighter though stronger ma
| terials, with perfected balance and
| spring suspension compensating Tor
the former use OF weight. The early
disappointed at not being able to
enjoy the performance which the
owner OF the open car had at his
disposal because of less weight. To-
day, however, the salesman promptly
| takes you out In the closed model
and puts 1t through a course OF
sprouts that are ofttimes as amazing
as they are satisfying.
A lot of improvement has been
made in these intimate closed jobs
during the past year, but 1t is i'm
portant to note that there have been
no new or radical changes. Merely
an effort to iron out the wrinkles,
so that the 1924 offerings would bet
| knows what he wants. In other
I words, the motorist who bought a
| closed car which embodied the great
est number of requirements of the
! ideal type last year finds a reader
| market for his car this year than the
buying a speciality car.
! Safest Course I'm Buying.
| Likewise. the safest course in buy
! ing now is in selecting one of these
! intimate closed jobs which comes
nearest the ideal. for when the time
| comes to trade it, In for a new car
| it will be along the general lines
in demand, however out of date it
may be in the matter of minor de-
! tails. the large majority of which
! can be added even to an old car.
| The matter OF painting, for in
stance, can always be modified to suit
| the varying tastes of the times.
! The nickeling of radiators and other
! parts would not put older models
out of date. for such changes can be
| made easily and at comparatively
| slight cost. But care must be taken
; to see that the closed car one selects
! conforms as nearly as possible to this
| clearly recognized type of closed car
which is now recognized as marking
| the one definite step toward per-
manency in personal automobile
| transportation.
| One cannot increase the seating
capacity Of car nor decrease 1t.
| Leg room Is usually a fixed factor.
and likewise luggage space. Venti-
| lation can seldom be changed by the
owner, and visibility must remain
| what the manufacturer makes it..
/ Thus 1t is up to the car buyer to
| select his closed car so as to satisfy
| himself on as many of these points
that the person who Is a prospect
| for his car when he wants to sell
| it later will select the car with these
same points in mind.
Evidence of Permanency.
The stability of the automobile
I industry, the knowledge that the au-
| tomobile has established itself in the
; affairs of the modern world and the
! fair pricing Of cars due to the ability
] of the public to absorb mass produc-
| ton all make for permanency. but IT
is the opinion of the writer that the
one outstanding evidence. OF per-
manency is that the motoFist can
now inspect the 1928 models and Sc
lect with absolute assurance the
type of closed car which will be
more in demand tomorrow than it
, is today.
Is 'AlI-weather Car.
This is perhaps the first time such
| motorist bought the standard tour
! ing car for years largely because the
manufacturer was not yet in posi-
| tIon to manufacture closed cars in
recognized that a genuine touring car
! should be one that was equal to
every demand. The open touring car
! was bought in the belief that 1t best
served all purposes, whereas 1t was
/ really a fair-weather car, and one
rapidly reached point where 1t was
| carrying around from one TO four
! unused seats, representing in the
aggregate an enormous waste Of
! transportation. particularly when 1t
was put up" for the winter.
Just now the average motorist, who
must make one car serve all pur-
poses. has the advantage not only of
knowing which way the trend is drift
ing, but also of being able to select
4 car that will typify that trend. It
is, for all practical purposes, a mat
ter of buying tomorrow's car today,
particularly since the manufacturers
are Offering the latest type Of closed
car on the 1924 chassis several months
In advance of the usual custom.
| Copyright, 1923, by the Ullmsn Feature
Service.)