The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-01-16
WHY'S KNIGHT.
0VERLANDCARS
SHOW INCREASE
Sales of 1922 Exceed Those
of 1921 by Thirty
Million

Building an automobile with only
one unit of man power, where two
and half units were employed a
year before, is one of the astound-
ing accomplishments of the past year
in automobile industry. This was
achieved at the WHY'S Overland fac
tory, Toledo, where Willys-Knight
and Overland motors cars are made.
Tremendously increased demand,
combined with the manufacturers
desire to give the utmost value in
the motor car at a 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 it's 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 21s in 1921.
Profits Increased Millions
These facts about WHY'S Overland
efficiency and production, combined
with the increased demand for it's
popular motor cars, explain to a
great extent the net profits of al
most $3,500,000 made during the first
nine months of 1929 by the WHY'S
Overland Company and its subsid-
iaries.
Another aspect of this company's
unprecedented accomplishment dur
ing the past year is revealed in a
comparison of its production of cars
in 1922 and 1921. Willys-Knight, the
sleeve-valve motored car showed a
production gain Of 12l percent, while
the gain in combined production OF
Overland and Willys-Knight was al
so well over 100 percent.
Total sales for the whole year OF
1921 were $51 800, 1881. Total sales
for only the first ten months OF
1922 were $68,677,275.8O.
Economies Perfected
One outstanding economy made by
Willys-Overland during the past
year was in it's consolidation of all
knight mtor work at Pontiac, Michi-
gan. Formerly, this work had been
done, in two plants in different ci-
ties, 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
Willys-Knight cars are built at the
Willys-Overland plant at Toledo, O.,
which means further saving of
profits that would otherwise 90 to
outside manufacturers. X
Students of industrial engineering
may see factors towards increased
efficiency, in the Willys-Overland
policy of hiring and holding men of
marked ability. The employment de-
partn1ent requires every new appli-
cant to be an American citizen or to
have at least his first papers. 1t also
requires applicants4 to pass an in
telligence 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 it's 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 service cost
to worry about with Willys-Knight
and Overland cars.
This phase Of handling the WHY'S
Overland products was voiced by the
Overland distributor at Detroit,
Mich, in no uncertain manner when
he announced, after selling $5,OO0,-
600 worth of cars, that he would
guarantee a years service on every
new Overland at cost Of only $25. 90.
Anticipating still larger demand
in 1923 for Willys-Knight and Over