The Republican., 1924-12-04

ers, and over 5000 makers of parts
and accessories exhibited their pro-
, ducts. About the same number of
similar manufacturers were present
at London.
The number of body, motorcycle,
, bicycle and parts and accessory man.
ufacturers in the United States is
!. much smaller than in either France
or England, and of these, only parts
and accessory manufacturers are per-
, mitted to exhibit at our national
shows. Our motor car companies are,
furthermore, real manufacturers to a
greater degree than in any other
country.
The attendance at both Paris and
London was enormous. People from
all over the world attended the Paris
show, and London had numerous for
eign visitors. 1t was estimated that
over 100000 people visited the Grand
Palais on each of the two Sundays
upon which the show was open, and
100000 during the eleven days it con-
tinued. The same interest prevailed
!, in England. Such attendance proves
/ that public interest in motor cars is
as keen in Europe as it is with us.
Both shows were an unqualified sue
cess from every standpoint.
Another marked difference between
!, the automobile industry in Europe
and America is in the size of cars
produced.
Perhaps three-fourths of all Euro
pean makers produce small cars. Many
Of these cars are of short wheelbase
and of treads as narrow as 46 inches,
against the American standard of Sc
| inches. Small tires and low road
! clearance are common, as are open
cars seating two and three people,
with quite fimsy tops.
Small bore motors with high COM
preston, under speeds of from 5000
! to 1000 +. p. m. prevail.
1 Owners are accustomed to climbing
hills in second gear which American
) cars breeze over in high.
Andre Citreon, the Ford Of France,
has five plants in Paris which are
now producing 300 cars per day and
are being enlarged to produce 500
per day. He is producing over half
the cars sold in France. His product
consists of a ) h. p. car, the three
scatter of which sells for 1880
francs, and a 10 h. p. priced at 16,500
francs. He will perhaps sell $4,000
cars this year. Renault ranks next
with an output of about $4,000, The
total French output will approximate
100000 cars.
Morris-Cowley is the Ford of Eng
land. Their small car, 11.9 h. p. four
scatter sells for f195, and his IA h. p.
for f285. This concern is probably
producing one-half of the cars made
in England. Numerous other concerns
in France, england, Belgium, Italy
and Germany are producing small
cars.
America produces nothing compar-
able to these European small cars, as
the reason which compelled Euro
pean manufacturers to make them do
not exist in America.
Europe was forced to build them
because of the basis of taxation, n,which
generally is a high tax on horsepow-
er. The French tax is Sc francs per
h. p. on cars of 10 h. p. and less; Al
francs per h. p. for those from 10 to
20 h. p. and 81 francs per h. p. for
those above 20 h. p. The Belgian tax
is 30 francs per h. p. and English e1
per h. p. fiat. France has also a 10
per cent luxury tax on the retail
price. These taxes compare with
! something like 25 cents per h. p. in
the United States.
The mathematical formula used by
practically all countries to determine
{ horsepower rating is admitted by all
engineers to be grossly inaccurate,
and yet the governments use it as a
tax basis. Without attempting to de-
scribe the formula, it can be said that
the actual horsepower of an engine
can be determined only by test, and
cannot be arrived at by formula, be-
cause it involves not only bore, stroke
and speed, but the additional factors
of compressed ratio, valve size, valve
lift, timing, weight Of reciprocating
parts and the nature of ignition; also
manifold design, density of gas and
frictional resistance.
Citroen advertises 20 h. D. as the
! effective power of his h. D. car;
: MorrisCowley advertises 80 h. p. as
t the effective power of their 11.9 h. D.
4 car.
They actually get the higher power
( from these small engines by running
( them fast under high compression
but buyers pay tax on the formula
: rating. American cars like the Ford
: Chevrolet and Overland have much
( bigger, slow speed normal compress
4 ed motors, whose buyers must pay
: much higher taxes. Consequently, the
I European small cars have big ad-
Z vantage.
Large European cars with slow
s speed, normal compression motors
I comparable to American made mo-
( tors, come within the luxury class
: and buyers pay about the same taxes
: as American cars of the same kind
Z carry.
{ These cars, like Buick, Studebaker
Z Nash and others, are marketable in
4 Europe in competition with the local
; product, while our small cars which
; appeal to buyers of limited means
suffer by comparison. All European
!. countries except England have a tar
g if on motor cars, which is As per
/ cent in France and Italy, and Amer
lean manufacturers have this disad-
+ vantage. Gasoline is from so to 100
t per cent higher in Europe than it is
in our country.
Quietness, durability, comfort and