Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-31
Continued from First Page)

ton that one type of wheel, or brake,
or engine, would suit everybody.
| 1t so happens that a majority of the
models this year will be equipped with
| wood wheels, but this should not he
| construed as an indication of the pass
| ing of the disc wheel. Nor should
| motorists agree with a manufacturer
of all types of wheels who now refers
to the wood type as Indispensable.
The truly Indispensable feature in all
car design is recognized now as lndi-
viduality. When cars cease to be in
dividual they will cease to please
everybody. Then 1t will be folly to
talk about the perfect car.
With this thought in view, it is
with much easier mind that the
motorist inspects the new models for
1926. He does not feel puzzled be
cause one car is shown with cantilever
rear springs while a majority have
springs of the semi-elliptic type. He
does not try to figure out whether he
should fall in line with modern ideas
by buying an engine of a certain tyr
Nor does he turn down cars that dc
not seem to have lines that are wha;
the miSinformed view as ultra
modern He studies the various
trends. and winds up by buying the
car that best meets his particular re-
quirements for today as well as for
several years to come. That is the
perfect car so far as it is humanity
possible to achieve It.
Many trends that look to be ultra
modern today may not be popular at
all IN the future. They will not be
discarded altogether because expert
ence shows that there always is room
for the car or the car feature that
pleases some one. The straight-eight
engine is an extremely popular de-
sign, not so much because of its in
ferent advantages as because there
happens to be i large percentage OF
motorists who want eight-cylinder
performance with simplicity.
The Weight has lost ground in point
Of number of makes, there being five
cars so powered as against fourteen
powered by straight-eight engines. but
t has not lost ground with the people
who want Weight performance. The
anne applies to the relationship now
'Xisting between skies and fours with
he exception that the four is selected
w those who want 1t for the advan.
1ge Of economy and simplicity.
Because there is a tendency to for
get that automobiles are designed and
built for individuals, rather than for
stock model of car owner, trends are
exaggerated and much imitation de-
velops. 1t is now generally under
stood by those close to the industry
that there are. already too many
straight Fights and too many skies.
Too much imitation carries a risk, for
If motorists are led to believe that
what Is good for the other fellow is
good for him. they are tempted to buv
cars that do not meet their own in
dividual demands. Cars thus acquired
are the ones that fall short of per-
lection. regardless of whether they
have valves in the head, valves in the
side. sleeve valves or rotary valves.
Because the matter of individuality
is not clearly understood car trends
seem to run in cycles. The impress
sion is held that old-fashioned design
becomes popular again after being
discarded, whereas in truth the manu-
facturerS must return to those things
which their own following demands.
This explains why one manufacturer
of straight Fights and SKIES is this
year Offering Il four-cylinder car as
we'll. Two prominent manufacturers
have discontinued their fours, and