Evening star., 1925-02-22
Lower Closed Cor Prices Bring
Real Problem for Auto Makers
VIII Public Pay Same for Open Model or
Must These Go Out of Business Is Ques-
ton Which Only Time Can Ans,oer.

I Where manufacturers are selling
| their closed cars at the same prices as
| their open models, it is because in
| creased production and sale OF the
former has made this possible. II open
cars continue to sell for the same
| that the former are over-priced, but
that they do not have the benefit Of
greater production and wider dis
! tribution.
At present there is considerable mis-
| understanding regarding the sale of
open and closed models for the same
| price. Many motorists consider the
| luxurious closed car and contend that
| 1t can never sell at the price of a con-
ventional touring car, thus missing the
| point entirely. They should be re-
| minded that regardless of price trends
| and production methods there will al
ways be cars of both open and closed
| types that will sell for higher prices
| than their conventional models, even
| though mounted on the same chassis.
This point is demonstrated already by a
number of makes.
Anything extra in the way of up
| holstery, painting, seating capacity and
| equipment will. of necessity, bring a
| higher price. There are, and probably
always will be, two grades of closed
cars, just as there are conventional
| open cars and de luxe open cars. The
sport roadster is one of the best
examples of this. This type of car
| may very easily develop to a point
| where it will sell for more than con-
ventional closed cars, even for more
! than any open cars have ever sold for
| in the past.
| Demand is expected to answer the
| price question before very long. Next
Fall is anticipated as the period when
| time will tell, because the usual season.
able demand for open cars is expected to
keep the public buying this type of
| automobile regardless of price at least
| throughout the Spring and Summer
| After that it may be different story.
The industry is keeping in mind the
fact that in popularizing the closed car
and in bringing il within the means of
the average buyer the market for the
| open car is being weakened. Fewer
people will want open cars, and those
who do will want exclusive models and
be willing to pay for them. The con-
ventional open car therefore, in becom-
ing less popular model, may become a
! drug on the market. At least 1t may
not be in sufficient demand to enable
the factories to pass along to the public
the advantages of quantity production
on this type.
Meanwhile the motorist is being led
to believe that an open car is undesir-
able. He will think that open cars
should be sold for less than popular
priced closed cars, which will be an i'm
possibility if closed cars make up the
bulk of factory production.
An optimistic opinion on the subject
is that by the time all these factors be-
come acute the average motorlst will
have reached point where he will
want two cars, and one of these will
be an open one for fair weather use.
Whether this car would be the roadster
or the conventional touring, however,
is not predicted.
Apparently the open car isn't a closed
book as yet. The open car problem
may open UP an entirely new field in
modern motoring.
Copyright, 1e25.)