The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-01-21
"COME BACK" Fob
W|LLyS OvE BLAND
INCREASES SALES
Only One Unit Of Man Power
Used in 1922 Compared to
Two and Half in Previ-
GUS Year

Building an automobile with only
one unit of man power, where two
and a half units were employed a
year before, is one of the astound-
ing accomplishments of the past
year in the automobile industry.
This was achieved at the WHY'S
Overland factory. Toledo, where
WHY'S knight and Overland motor
cars are made.
Tremendous increased demand
combined with the manufacturer 5
desire to give the utmost value in
the motor car at much reduced
price, led to this unprecedented per
Torrance in efficiency.
In reaching its notable record for
1922, the willys-overland company
more than doubled its production
for the prior year, while the actual
ratio of man power hours per car built
in 1922 was held down to only one
as compared with two and one-haif
in 1921.
Profits Increased Millions
These facts about Wlllys-Overland
efficiency and production combined
with the increased demand for its
popular motor cars, explain to
great extent the net profits of al
most $3,500,000 made during the first
nine months of 1922 by the WHY'S
Overland company and its subsid-
iaries.
In the second quarter OF the year,
the wonderful progress Of the com
pany was marked by profits amount
ing to $1,667,476.25. In the third quar-
ter, with a greatly increased demand.
and production facilities enlarged, a
profit of s3,624,675.45 was shown.
Thus in the nine months ending
September 80, 1922, WHY'S Overland
had accomplished net profits OF
S3,461,S70.55.
Another aspect Of this company's
Unprecedented accomplishment dur
ing the past year is revealed in
comparison of its production of cars
in 1922 and 1921. Willys-K Knight, the
sleeve-valve motored car showed a
production gain of III per cent,
while the gain in combined produc
tion of Overland and Willys-K knights
was also well over 100 per cent.
In actual sales OF all cars, parts
and miscellaneous items by the
Willys-Overland company and its
subsidiaries, the available figures for
only ten months of 1922 show a big
increase over the total sales volume
for the entire IL months of 1921, in
spite of the fact that two smashing
price reductions were made during
1922
Total sales for the whole year of
1921 were s51,s6O.S7S.21. Total sales
for only the first 10 months of 1922
were $6S.677,275.S1.
Economics Perfected
II. I l..
Willys-Overland during the past
year was in it's consolidation of all
Knight motor work at Pontiac, Mich.
Formerly this work had been done in
two plants in different cities so that
the consolidation of this work in one
central shop effected a reduced cost
per unit and more than doubled the
production of Knight motors.
Practically all of the bodies for
WHY'S knight cars are built at the
WHY'S Overland plant at Toledo, o.,
which m cans a further saving of
profits that would otherwise go to
outside manufacturers.
Students of Industrial engineering
may see factors towards increased
efficiency, in the WHY'S Overland
policy of hiring and holding men of
marked ability. The employment de-
partment requires every new appli-
cant to be an American citizen or to
have at least his first papers. 1t
also requires applicants to pass an
intelligence test in which many ordi-
nary applicants fail to measure up to
the required standards.
Engineering Design Set
Another factor in WHY'S Overland
advancement is its increased number
of distributors and dealers and in
this connection it is interesting to
note that old dealers in the organi-
cation have requested the factory to
make no changes in the engineering
design for the reason that they
found there was practically no SER