Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-01-25
AUTO HAS REACHED
|TS25TH BIRTHDAY
Packard President Believes
Form Is Now Stabilized, to
Change Slowly.

The automotive industry this year
celebrates the completion OF its first
quarter century of existence. While
the first motor vehicle propelled itself
laboriously over it's first mile In 1890
35 years ago, the 10-year period fol-
lowing can be termed the incubation
stage, says Alvan Macauley, president
of the Packard Motor Car Company,
in reviewing the growth of the auto
mobile industry. The invention was
being developed to stage which
would remove 1T from the realm of
mere curiosities.
"As an industry the manufacture
of motor vehicles can be said to have
had its birth in 1899 when, for the
first time, production exceeded 1000
units" said Mr.. Macauley These were
all passenger cars, or as they were
then more accurately called, pleas
ure cars for they were but expensive
playthings.
Increased Thousand Times
I'm these 20 years just ended we
have seen production increased a
thousand times and the new wealth
annually created by our Industry
grow from less than 100000 to
more than $4,000 100000. Never be-
fore has any industry sprung with
such rapidity from nothing TO a posi-
ton in the front rank among all the
industries of the Nation
I'm 25 years this industry has
reached full maturity. 1t successful
ly combated the ailments of child
hood: IL safely avoided the pitfalls of
early youth: its growing pains are
long since passed: It's fundamental
education has been practically COM
pleted: 1t served it's country with
magnificent distinction and with in
dispensable talents and facilities dur
ing the late World War.
Start of New Era.
ut is singularly appropriate that
the twenty-ffth birthday of the in
dustry should mark the beginning of
a new era-the completion of a trans
itIonal period. / believe we have def
nitely passed the hectic and extrava-
giant though unavoidable period of
revolutionary change.
Now. in my judgment, short of
some unforeseen epoch making dis
covery in the realm OF science. com
parable to the discovery Of steam or
electricity. the future will be a period
of slow evolution marked by the
gradual refinement and greater per-
lection in application of principles
now employed and well understood.
1T was inevitable that out of the
flux of ideas. principles. designs and
methods which marked our early
years would ultimately come.
through test and study, experiment
and experience. a capitalization Of
final basic design, which could i'm
prove but slowly. After years of
violent agitation and rapid change
the industry, to the relief OF all and
particularly the public, has reache ID
a state of stability as to both design
and appearance.
Now as we enter our second quar-
ter century / believe we have at last
reached a stage which permits us TO
announce in the markets of the world
that the industry charged with the
important task of providing mankind
with one Of it's most indispensable
transportation facilities has been
stabilized; that we are building into
our vehicles years Of useful life, in
some cases more than a hundred
thousand miles of transportation,
which 1t is wrong and wasteful not to
utilize completely"