Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-03

Second only to the improvements
and innovations revealed in the 1926
cars now generally on display is the
number Of time -honored customs in
car design revealed throughout the
entire list Of products. Motorists
everywhere are impressed by the
growing stability of design as evil
denced by the entrenchment of many
of the features that have been ac-
ceptable since the early days of
motordom.
Passenger cars still are offered with
four wheels, rubber encircled, pro-
PEELED by or rolling on axle ends.
The steering wheel is still the popu-
lar method of controlling the direc-
ton Of the gasoline propelled car.
Rear-end drive and front.end steer
ing are universal.
The engine of the American car
remains in the front Of the chassis,
under hood and behind the radiator.
Frames are made Of steel, and
springs. while Of varying design, are
of the leaf type.
Thus, despite the radical changes
that have come over the automobile
annually, it still retains many Of its
basic ideas in design. The opinion
prevails that the situation will be-
come more and more pronounced
with succeeding years since the auto
mobile comes nearer and nearer to
perfection.
See Calm Before Storm.
Violent objections to this attitude
are raised by the ultra radicals in
motordom, who see in the present
stability in design the calm before the
storm. They point to some Of the
newest innovations as evidence that
at any moment any of the accepted
customs may tumble into oblivion.
There is another side TO the picture,
however. The more conservative call
attention to the customs, once dis
carded, that are regaining popularity.
There is much discussion over the
six and eight wheel passenger car.
for instance. II is recorded. how
ever, that a specially designed King
car once carried six wheels, two be
ing mounted on each rear axle. The
revolution in wheels did not follow,
as had been anticipated at that time.
Bulb horns recently have come
back into vogue and many motorists
predict an early return of the hand
crank as a convenience to motorists
who wish to test compression and as
a front-end ornament that is little
out of the ordinary.
newed demand for the landaulet type
Of body In which the top over the
tonneau can be folded back. The
use of genuine leather for closed
cars is another one of the uneX-
pected returns OF the old customs.
Those who have analysed the auto
mobile and it's various trends care
fully do not agree that there have
been any radical changes. Balloon
tires, for instance. are viewed merely
as an exaggeration of the pneumatic
tire idea
Four-wheel brakes are viewed by
this type Of observer as a more
logical and detailed braking arrange
ment and not a radical change.
All of the many so-called innova-
tons are regarded as Improvements
by such observers, not as radical
changes. Purifying the air that goes
into an engine and rectifying the oil
that becomes diluted with gasoline,
water and sulphuric acid enable
present-day engines to produce bet
ter results and operate more efficient
ly. but a genuinely radical change
in engine design would involve a re-
yersible engine, a gasoline turbine or
an internal combustion engine that
would deliver full power at its low
est speed.
Even a power plant SO designed
that a motorist could select for his
immediate requirements the number
of cylinders he preferred is not
viewed as anything new or radical
1t is pointed out that this selection
was possible to a very large degree
in certain twin-six and a twin-four
engine. both of which are being
operated on the streets today.
One of the peculiarly persistent
customs is the pairing of headlights
and the placing of the engine at the
point most distant from the rear axle
where power is to be applied.
Another custom that persists con.
Germs the matter of cooling Every