The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-12-02
VITAL CHANGES
IN AUTOS
NEAR
Stutz President Tells Of Many
Basic Problems Still
to Be Solved

Automobile design in general will
see more radical changes and adj
vancement in the next three years
than in the past decade, according
to F.. E. Moskovics, president of the
Stutz Motor Car Company of
America, in New York last week.
Moskovics, by reason of his many
years contact with the automotive
industry, ranks as one of the best
informed automobile men in the
country. He was a keenly inter
ested visitor at the salon where the
imported models and many Ameri-
can makes of motor cars were ex-
-hibtted and his remarks are apt to
find echo throughout the automo-
tive world.
when I say changes in auto
mobile design" said Moskovics, II
mean especially passenger cars of
greater safety, of vastly improved
riding qualities, built infinitely
lower to the ground than has ever
been attempted, and equipped with
better brake design and all re-
lated details In keeping with a real
safety chassis.
Greater flexibility must and will
be shown in better motor design,
in better performance and In greater
economy Of operation.
Chassis Improving
Improved riding will come with
the proper engineering acceptance
of the balloon tire principle. Bal
loon tires, as q matter Of fact,
interjected an entirely new factor
in chassis design and thus far this
new factor has not reached its
highest engineering possibilities.
"Springs have just been springs
in the past and have been used Tor
the suspension Of certain known
factors in general chassis and body
design. Balloon tires brought an
entirely new element or set of ele.
ments into the field and engineers
must design springs for the use Of
balloon tires with shock absorberS
or snubbing devices and not springs
where the addition of the latter is a
matter of personal whim or fancy.
There is a. great reward ahead for
the first engineer who designs all
these factors into a co-ordinated
whole. In so far as the motoring
public is concerned it viii mean
newer riding comfort hitherto I'M
known.
Infinitely lower cars than ever
have been built first must come
for the reason that a lower center
of gravity IL necessary in the
automobiles of tomorrow. Trans
lated into terms Of greatest appeal
to the owner the lower center OF
gravity means greater safety, due
to the practical impossibility Of
overturning In case OF accident,
greater reliability to overcome
road conditions of every kind and
last, but not least-more comfort
Brakes StilI Problem
And the general braking problem
is nearly as wide open as 1t ever
was. At last summers meeting
Of the Society Of Automotive En-
gineers held at White Sulphur
Springs, Va, many hours Of the
time Of the leading engineers Of
the country were devoted to dis
cussing this topic. The problem
presents itself to the whole industry
under the headings Of proper effect
iveness Of mechanical brakes, proper
Innings and maintenance of Innings
and proper brake equalization.
the first engineer to come forward
with a real four-wheel brake to
solve the brake problem as 1t is
generally today, will add to auto
motive art in general and his own
fame in particular. 1t must come
and may be not so far from
accomplishment as we think today.
Just stop to consider for a few
minutes and realize, If you will, the
plethora OF units performing the
EaIpe service one finds In automo-
biles of today-sixteen differing
spring methods, eight types OF
eight-cylinder motors, eleven types
Of transmissions.. fifteen types OF
axles! All Of these can't be right
the problem of the engineering world
Of today is combination Of proper
units to evolve the advanced car Of
tomorrow.
ut does not take an engineer to
make clear that great axle or a
great engine or a great transmis-
sion or a great anything alone will
never make great car. 1t is only
through a proper coordination Of
all units entering into the making
Of an automobile that can make it
really and truly an outstanding
motor car that will endure.
But it is full knowledge OF
what is going on in the engineering
world" said Moskovics in conclu.
sion. chat leads me to predict a
great step forward in automobile
science. These forward steps are
along fundamental lines but they
will effect radical changes in auto.
mobile design-far more radical, in
fact. in even the next few years
than have been witnessed in a de-
cade."