Evening star., 1924-02-24
PROGRESS IN AUT0S|
DEPENDS ON BUYER
Rlckenbacker Says Makers
Only Follow Lead of Pur-'
chasers in Equipment.

That the automobile buyer, and not
the maker. is the true progressive is
the contention of Capt. E. V. Ricken-
hacker, vice president and director Of
sales of the, Rickenbacker Motor Com
pany.
While we manufacturer are prone
to boast Of our progressiveness when
announcing the new features we in
corporate in our cars from time to
lowers rather than leaders.
"All the credit one manufacturer
may claim over another; all the ad-
vantage he may gain, he must achieve
by following the lead of the huvcr
more closely than others; because in
not a single case that can be recalled
has the automobile manufacturer ever
been IN advance Of the buyer.
Work Of Engineers.
True. experimental engineers do
heep pretty well abreast of the public
solutions of those needy but thai does oes
not incorporate them into the product
Most manufacturers are conservative
s eLio hesitate to put into or add onto
aae product anything for which the
demand is not already insistent as well
as certain. 40 e"
Nor is he to he blamed for this. since
me buyer while accepting. the addi-
toHat teatu@e, mas a peculiar aversion
20 psylns any more for the car, though
the cost to the maker is increased.
FOR, 1t is strange fact that. while the
car buyer will pay fancy prices for ac-
cesSorles, he refuses to allow a penny
estra tor the car the minute the maker
equipment!
since ne must absorb the extra
~ MS own cost and deduct it from,
re proht, it is little wonder the
ig
anything.
But go back to the very begin
nihS ana recall who it was who first
pul headhghts onto an automobile.
. IL was the owner who first bought
them from an accessory store and
mounted them on his car after he
had bought it.
Not. for several years did head
lights become Standard equipment'
The maker did put a little car
mage step on the car, but it was the
owner who first saw the need of
running board
maker did put a narrow mudsuard
directly over the wheels, but IL was
an owner who first added the apron
Wnich connected the mudguard to
Not until several years later, and
then after several owners had proved
the advantages of homemade affairs,
old the now familiar dust apron
SioSCS Tue zap Del"eon the
frame and the running board become
also standard.
--Of lcourse. we all recall that the
magnetic and self-starter were first
put or as Accessories and finally in
ccrporated by the maker.
II is hard to believe now but for
several years the only drip pans that
protected the ignition system, car
the slush, mud, dust and sand of the
roads were crude canvas bags tied
under the chassis by owners.
Not until the automobile was ten
the need for this feature, which has
PROBABLY done more to insure the
constant operation of the motor and
reduce wear of parts than any other
one thing.
why, l can recall. time and again,
my motor would stop dead after run
ming through q little water puddle in
the road. Ignition was 'shorted' or
carTpurstor intake filled BY, the splash. |
steering connections for several years
before the maker added them.
Why. even the spark and throttle |
levers were left on the dash, and at +,
arms length from the driver. until a |
resourceful owner put them on the |
steering wheel within reach.
Cars Without Windshields.
Even the latest recruits in the
ranks Of motorists can recall when
the top and windshield ceased to be
a mere accessory and became an in
tegral part of the car. Still later
came the visor and windshield wiper
The most recent example OF the
owner debating and the maker un-
Tillingly complying is four-wheel
brakes.
Ono only needs to go through the
automobile shows and count the num- !,
ber of makers who are now exhibit |
ing models with four-wheel brakes;
fhssa a,,1
realize how unwiningly they followed |
the lead of the buyer In this i'm |
portant feature.
In this history is only repeating |
VIII be forgotten-just as every other |
become universally standard.
Every one Of these adjuncts that |
are now considered indispensa sable on |
the motor car were not only first !
added by the owner but were used |
by him for several successive seasons !
before even the most progressive |
policy to feature them as a part of !
his latest model.
And right there. by the way. does |
the newer CONCERN prove it's worth |
public.
Striving for place in the sun, it |
is but natural that the younger |
aspirant for public favor and for !
product every possible convenience !
and Improvement to attract and hold !
that favor. |
Were there no such competition |
this industry would sink into decay |
even as did the bicycle business when |,
the sharp spur of competition was !
dulled by monopoly. and ambition |
lulled to sleep by assurance of safety |
from ambitious young rivals.
'Of course, the established concern |
reSents the 'radicaliSm' of the |
younger aSpirantS, but after all it is
to those that the older ones owe the /,
fact that this industry is today the ;
most virile, progressive and resource !
ful of any industry in the v,o-'a - :