Evening star., 1924-02-09
AUTO OSALESPASS
I'd RECORDS OF 1923
January Business MucI
Above Estimates-Foreign
H. Tire Demand Is Slow.
BY J. G. R0YLE.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

SPECIAL DISp4tcn 70 Ine otAfs
NEW YORK, February s.-Wheeis
and tirts are the two parts OF an auto
mobile that now are attracting the ut
most attention of the foremost tech
nical experts in the automotive industry.
Some Of these men do not hesitate to
state that the greatest changes In the
immediate future in motor car design
ing will be in those two features.
The possibilities of the low pressure
tire, some of the engineers assert, have
ionly been touched incidentally, IL mere
easy riding qualities are considered.
They declare the most wonderful possi-
bilities exist in prolonging the life OF
the metals used in automobile manu-
facture, obviating strains and cracks in
bodies and chassis and keeping mechani-
cal joints intact.
Auto Sales Very Heavy.
The complete figures on January
production and sale by the larger De-
troit makers were even larger than pre-
liminary estimates indicated. Chevro-
let and Overland factories almost doub-
led their January, 1928, records, and
Ford turned out $4,000 more cars and
trucks than year ago.
The figures which have just become
available at Detroit are almost as
indicative of the trend of design as
of actual factory outturn. More than
10 per cent of all the automobile
makers have switched from four
cylinder to six-cylinder engine con-
struction. OF 104 makers in business
in this country this year. 65.4 per
cent are making six-cylinder lines.
as against 54.S per cent of all makers
in 1920, although there were forty
two more companies in existence in
that year than in 1924. There are
twenty-four makers of four-cylinder
cars and twelve makers OF eight
cylinder cars, but there are no long
er any factories making twelve-cyl-
inder cars, although there were three
in 1920.
Analysis of Recent Sales.
Equally significant is the analysis
Of the recent sales of Paige Detroit
cars. These show surprising in
oreases of sales to farmers and WON
IN in January The company sold
approximately $500 cars. the largest
farmers increased from per cent in
December to 6.3 per cent last month.
Sales to women increased in the same
period from FL per cent to So per
cent Statesmen bought more Paige
cars than men in any other employ
ment, with shop workers second and
-, merchants third. Farmers were
fifth.
Farmers, according to the National
Lumber Manufacturers, have to buy
automobiles fast since ayoidable de-
terioration to cars. trucks. tractors
and other farm machinery is equal to
one-half all the taxes paid by the ag
riculturists. Engineers of the asso-
citation in an investigation through
Illinois found that damage to farm
machinery and implements left along
side roads amounted to $3.50 square
mile a year. or about 81 an acre. In
let Of
twelve tractors absolutely without
protection. These machines. built to
give twenty or more years service, IL
was estimated. would be on the junk
heap within five years. If the Illinois
estimate holds good in other agricul-
tural sections, the annual loss to the
country would approximate $37o,o0O,-
600. However, automobile manufac-
turers expect to be able to build cars
and tractors as fast as the farmers
can buy them.
Foreign Trade Quiet.
While tire manufacture in this
country is expected to improve with
increased production of vehicles In
1924, figures for the last year do not
indicate any surprising advance in the
capture of foreign trade. The larger
portion Of original tire equipment on
British cars, trucks. motorcycles and
bicycles continues to be supplied by
British manufacturers, with the pun
lop Company leading. Similarly
Michelin and Pfrelli supply the manu-
facturers of the French and Italian
cars with most of their tires. Amer
ican tire manufacturers, Of course.
have benefited to the extent to which
sales of American cars of which their
tires are attached have broadened in
foreign countries.
On the other hand, German prod
ucts have become a serious factor In
the British markets as the exchange
situation and other conditions have
enabled German makers to undersell
the English 1t is claimed bicycle
tires from Germany are being retailed
in England at prices which would not
cover cost of material in Great
Britain.