Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-10

contributes more to the interior
beauty of the modern automobile
than that which relates to the in
strument board. In the old days,
the whole dash was covered with
knobs, buttons and switches. Today
single, artistic panel holds the va
rious instruments that apprise the
driver of the conditions under which
ms car is operating.
contributing to the artistic effect
achieved in this respect today is the
employment of indirect lighting. In
addition to its contribution toward
this end, the indirect illumination
has decided unitarian value. The
motorist who used to keep his dash
light turned off because of the glare
no longer is bothered in this fashion.
Although it is not generally recog-
I1ized, this fact makes for more eff
cient motoring. The careful motor
ist keeps weather eye on the in
strument panel at all times. One of
the devices may be telling a story
OF trouble. Paying immediate atten-
ton to its warning has saved many
a repair bill.
With the demand for distinctive
ness in car design becoming more
and more definite, no detail of ex-
terror is certain of remaining un-
changed. Nothing exemplifes this
more than the variety of forms in
which hood lowers now are appear
ing. Not so long ago, every de-
signer was satisfied with vertical
Sits in the side of the hood to per-
NIT air to reach the motor. Now
lowers are running every way.
Some are horizontal, some are diago-
nal and others are combination of
the two.
And, it is worth noting, they do
modify the appearance of the car.
X * *
Automobile sales since the begin
ming of the year indicate that the
business for 1927 is going to those
manufacturers who had the fore
sight to produce cars with the most
appealing color harmony. Knowing
this, the industry is busily engaged
at present in developing new color
schemes which will have an even
greater sales appeal Much interest
attaches to the matter of discover
ing these new color combinations.
1t appears that there are two
ways-or rather two general meth
ods-of developing color combina-
tions. A noted color expert is of the
opinion that the best way to- find
proper colors is to select them at
random, his theory being that pos
sible accidents produce coiors which
are more pleasing to the eye than
those determined by more scientific
means of selection. Another author
ity, however, recently informed a
meeting of the Society of Automo-
tive Engineers that by means of
proper color analysis it is possible
TO do with 20 colors what some au-
tomobile companies are doing with
some 900.
Recently body designers have dis
covered that by means of scientific
treatment of minor line it is pos
sible to change the entire appear
ance of the car. This is particularly
necessary in cases where cars are
being designed with shorter wheel
bases and where it is desired to give
machine lower appearance than
others which may be just as close
to the ground by actual measure
ment. One body designer who has
given great deal of thought to this
matter has coined the expression
cheat lines" TO designate these
tricks in body design. 1t is probable
that within the near future there
also will be cheat colors to carry
this idea of visual illusion to its
logical limit
While there are but approximate
iy so motor car manufacturers left
out of the hundreds who started out
to make their fortunes in the indus
try, those that remain cannot be ac-
cused of reducing the range of the
prospective buyers choice. The in
dividual manufacturer today is turn
ing out a variety of models and
body styles that in days OF less keen
competition would seem amazing
For instance, one maker of six
cylinder cars is producing 26 body
types OH three different chassis and
in four wheelbase lengths. A COM
petitor in the same price field is
producing within one or two types
OF this number and is making the
same number of wheelbase lengths.
Another manufacturer, whose prod
ucts include four and three skies,
has a still wider number of types
from which one may choose.
One of the oldest makers of eight
cylinder cars has brought out a new
car to add to its line, while a leader
in the four cylinder field recently
announced that his line would be
supplemented by a higher priced
product.
These are by no means all OF the
additions TO present lines. They
give an excellent idea. however. Of
how ones choice may be given free
range in the selection of the ideal
motor car. Il is on the market more
ernphatically than ever. Finding it
IS simpler than before.
+
Every so often the motoring pub
iic-and the public generally-is re-
called with story TO the effect that
the Maharajah of Indoor or the Sui
tan Of Sulu or the Prime Potentatc
of Panang has taken delivery of a
$4,000 limousine. which, equipped
with sold-gold door checks and an
ivory horn button, is absolutely the
last word in automotive luxury
These stories usually are read with
bated breath and goggle-eyed inter
est. and yet something which the
writer considers TO be of greater and
more interest is to be found right ir
our midst.
Ambulance construction h a,