The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-27
TENDENCIES IN
 AUTO DESIGN
Cars To Cost Less To Run And To Run Much
 Longer

Cars are getting better-and cheaper to buy. They are going to cost far less to run and run longer. A study of the designs for 1924 show unmistakable ten- dencies toward these things. There are four big hits this year-balloon tires, four-wheel brakes, cheaper closed cars and cheaper light sixes.
 The balloon tires, or better still, the low-pressure tire, now is being used as standard or optional equipment by the following companies: Cole, Rollin, Es- sex sixta and Duesenberg. This is only a beginning, for as the year progresses more and more makers will take on balloon tires.
 Four-wheel brakes, thought to be a novelty at first by some manufacturers, may be set down as form of braking that will be universally used in a few years.~ One of the reasons every car hasn't four-wheel brakes this year is because it calls for redesigning of the axle, front springs, perhaps steering and other parts. This cannot be done quickly and produce a good four-wheel brake system. At the time of writing the following manufacturers supply four-wheel brakes regularly or as op- tional equipment: Rickenbacker, Pack ard, Cadillac, Oakland, Buick, Mar mon, Velie, Duesenberg, Pierce-Arrow, Chalmers. The light six, selling under S1,OOO, is here. When the industry was mak- ing practically all four-cylinder cars we thought that the introduction of sizes would mean more money for the car, moro for repairs, more for upkeep, etc. We found that adding cylinders gave us more power and greater smoothness and we also found after development that we could build a six as cheaply as a four and get the same or better economy. That is why these light sizes are coming in. do not believe that the four-cylinder car will ever go out of existence, but I do think that the coming in of more light sizes will crowd the four into lower and lower price class. Ford, of course, has the great low price car field almost to himself and be undoubtedly will continue to. make four-cylinder cars.
 Closed Cars
 In very short time there will be nothing else but closed cars. That sounds like a wild prediction, but I am simply repeating what I said last year and the year before. Each time I say it the percentage of open cars made during the year shows big decline. I feel that there is no more room for an open automobile than there is for an open Pullman car, or a house with eel luloid windows and fabric sides. The trouble with some of the sixes is that the manufacturer wants to give too much for the money with the result that the car looks cheap and is cheap. Such designs and construction will harm the light six and make the buyer accept a four of little better quality, and little less car.
 As a general thing the closed car has made producers make stiffer and better frames to prevent body rattles. The engines have heavier crankshafts to prevent vibration which has been the one big thing attacked in engine de- sign. Clutches have changed little, transmissions are getting more atten- tion and next year will see some more special designs in which shifting down can be done, easier and without noise.
 Bodies are better, even in the cheaper cars, the lines have been improved in nearly every make, nickel parts have