The Washington times., 1926-02-10
TREND To
SHORT CAR

What type of automobile will be
the ultimate car--tlle car Of the
future, WIN 1t be heavy. or light,
long or short? What kind Of
mower, plant viii it have and what
other mechanical features will Il
embrace?
The public itself will decide this
question. The motor car industry,
for some time past, has had its
"ear to the ground" in an effort
to determine owner sentiment, Tor
the public, after all. is the boss"
of the automobile industry. The
automobile manufacturer today is
aware that the family council Is
the deciding factor which passes
with impartial judgment on the
product after 1t has left the hands
of engineers and designers and
that with 19,616,063 cars now in
the hands of owners in America
the average buyer knows pretty
definitely what should be expected
OF the motor car builder
Among the leaders Of the IN
dustry who see growing demand
for q car or short wheel base -
&c. w. Nash. president Of the Nash
and. Ajax Motors Companies. Mr..
Nash has backed his Judgment by
the purchase and equipment or
large automobile factory where
since last spring he has produced
over 10000 Ajax cars of the type
in which he believes there Is the
greatest growing interest.
1.-THE time has long since passed
when q motor car builder may
arbitrarily determine. just the kind
Of q car he would personally ike.
10 build and then go ahead With
production, said Mr. Nash. The.
ubIic today Ii virtually the boss
FOR the simple reason that the
buyer knows just what he wants
and is quick to reject that which
he does not want.
ut is my opinion, based upon
very, careful observation, that the
car of the future Is destined 70
be rather short in length-with 81
wheeIbase Of, say, 10S or 10 inches.
II win be powered with a six
cylinder motor. equipped with
seven-bearing crankshaft, will have
four-wheeI brakes and all similar
mechanical features usually idenu-
fled with automobiles Of larger SIZE
and higher price.
Now I do not wish to be under
stood as implying that all cars OF
the future will be sof that general
type and design. Tastes differ and
conditions. which largely govern
tastes, also differ. There will be
large cars. long cars, and cars u
mahy types, but maintain thai
these very conditions. to which
have just referred, already have
had marked Influence on public
z. s 1es. a.. ft,,a ,,,in.,fes m any
congested thoroughfare and the
traffic condition that meets your
eyes Will convince you that puOlic
trend Of thought Is receptive to
q practical solution Of the traffic
problem. In fact, the public has q
right to demand the cooperation OF
the automobile industry.
Parking car In congested dis.
tricfs has become a matter OF
serious concern. Turning a car of
long wheelbase, on. crowded city
streets, is to many Al nerve rackiiig
experience and so the public IS
looking TO the manufactures Tor
relief, at least In some measure.
These conditions Of traffic conges
ton are found not only in the
larger cities throughout the cour1-
try. but they exist today in the
of smaller cities and
towns as well.
Drive down Main Street on a
Saturday night in almost any town
in the country Of 5000 people or
over and observe the congestion and
the confusion with respect to ade-
quate facilities. Even the country
within radius of 20
miles Of most any large city. pre-.
sent q tangled mass of traffic OH
any Saturday afternoon or Sunday
during the summer season. !
TOO many of the cars on the
Rad taxa nm foo Yrnucl4 t.non1 They