Evening star., 1923-01-21

After an exciting childhood, during
which it proved to be the most pre-
cocious infant in the history of hu-
man achievement, the automobile in
dustry has now reached that stage
where it may be viewed as being
grown up. Having reached this stage,
it now proposes to make 1923 memoir
able with much ado about everything
relating to the world Of pistons and
, punctures.
To the motorist who has uncon-
sciously grown up with the automo-
bile business this fact should be
wa rmly welcomed, for it will give him
a new slant on car shopping, service.
depreciation. used car value and the
score Of things definitely associated
with rubber tire locomotion.
Several years ago motorists were
rather inclined to turn deaf ear to
the prediction that within compare
lively short space of time the num-
Der of makes of motor cars would be
reduced to about twenty-five leaders
Then came a period OF great activity.
in which many who had helped others
build cars thought the time had ar
rived to strike out for themselves. the
number of makers increased. rather
than decreased; and it appeared for
time as though the newcomers
would run old standbys merry race
Figures Establish Truth.
But the production figures for last
year told the truth about the matter.
The old standbys did their greatest
business; and, what is OF particular
Importance to motorists. while many
lesser known makes sold well, the
proportion of increase shown by the
old standbys revealed the fact that
something about the business or buy
ing and selling cars has changed
Naturally The automobile indus
try has grown up. we know more
about buying cars than we did hve
years ago and more about seiilng
th6 m.
The business is going to have its
occasional filings" it's "big ideas" and
its propositions" but 1T. isn't gong
TO discard tolerably good ideas in Ia
vor of rash experiments 1t isn't going
TO turn from one half-finished idea 20
another for II knows that in the f1nal
analysis the motoring public. pays.
And the motoring public is too good a
customer to fool.
Also too wise a customer.
This is not said with the idea of
discouraging the Offering Of new
makes of cars, for without new blood
the business would get into rut. and
automobilists would find the models
of 1880, for instance, not much of an
improvement over those OF 1925. But
automobiling has become such a gi-
gantic proposition that the mere Of
fering of a car that is better than its
contemporaries is only halt the battle
for the manufacturer as well as the
buyer.
There are other matters which are
quite as important as improvements
in valves. new types, of clutches or
the elimination of the transmission;
and a great selling organization to go
with a new make OF car sums IL up.
One Mistake Cited.
The trouble has been that enthusi-
asttc e1ponents of new cars mistake e
selling organization for an unload
| ing organization. Agencies are taken
on with scarcely less than tho desire
to treat customers fairly. and cars
are sold for time. Suddenly manu-
facturer, dealer and motorist realize
that while the car is as excellent as
any new product can hope to be, serv-
| ice is inadequate and parts are diff
! cult TO obtain. The new manufac-
/ turer faces the same business prob
; lens as the established maker of mo-
tors. but, in addition. he Is confronted
with competition, not so much in re-
gard to the quality OF the car as with
| the quality of those intangible things
that go with il.
1he f3ct that tnere were only seventy
nine makes represented at the New York
show as against ninety-two in 1922, and
| Immediately following the most produc-
| tive year in the history Of the business,
| is one evidence that all parties TO motor
ing are beginning to realize that the
car itself represents only half Of what
a motorists money ought 20 buy.
| The trouble has not arisen necessarily
| because there have been too many
makes Of cars. but mainly because there
have been too few with something be-
hind the car.
Adding trunk racks. classy bumpers
| and cigar lighters makes any car appear
better, but the real accessory that makes
a car is the service behind it; and no
car is any better than the quality of
| this accessory.
No Car Complete In Itself.
! No car is complete in itself. With
| out driver it is merely a show thing
! waiting to die of dry rot; and tho
| moment il leaps into activity under the
| guidance of a human being II irnme-
| diately leaps into difficulties. Imper-
| feet intelligence playing upon imper-
| feet mechanism sets UP dlscords which
4 Jazz the erstwhie tune OF perfect run
J ming motor. If service facilities are
| imperfect the result is painful enough
| but when the manufacturers selling or
! ganization stops at the entrance to tho
J