Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-11
AUTO TRADE G|RDS
FOR BIGGEST FIGHT
Ford Announcement Gives
Other Makers Idea of What
They Have to Face.
BY j. G. ROYLE.
,pecial Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, August 1.-THE
knives of competition were being
given a razor edge in the automobile
Industry today. The announcement
by Edsel Ford that the new Ford car
was now an accomplished fact, and
giving some of the points the Ford
Motor CO.. claims for it. has shown
other manufacturers more definitely
what they have to face. They are de
termined to fight to a finish for every
possible customer, and the last part OF
this year promises to see the most Sc
we're competition the industry ever has
known.
Production so far this year has been
running at the rate of nearly 100000
cars annually. despite the fact that
the Ford factories, which once pro
duced a car for each one turned out
by all the other makers combined
have been practically idle for months
so far as production was concerned
With Ford in active production. the
output for the year may reach the
4,200. 900 mark which President Sloan
of General Motors predicted for it ear
lier this year.
Cars for Show Loom.
The Ford announcement did not say
when the new car would be put on the
market, except that if the car has any
faults they will be found and rectifieG
before it is offered for sale.
The output before a car is sold, how
ever. must be raised to tremendous
pitch in order to provide dealers with
cars for their showrooms and selling
| floors. To allow each dealer one car
| of each body model and type would re
quire operations for months at peak
of capacity, which for the old mode
T was $500 a day. The exact price
| field of the new car is as yet unknown
| but all the other companies are go
| ing to feel the effect Of the Ford com
| petition whether it touches their price
fields directly or not.
Considerable credence has beer
| given reports in some circles that the
| new car would have a high compress
sion motor using ethyl gasoline. This
seems very unlikely to the fuel eX
perts, since the patents covering the
production of ethyl gas are owned by
the chief Ford competitors. Moreover
the oil company which works with the
| Ford competitor in production OF
ethyl gas has just bought the German
| processes for liquefying coal which
will give it ready access to benzol anC
| toluol production.
Reduction i'm Makers Seen.
There seems no middle ground ir
the automobile industry. Some con
Germs are having the most wonderful
year in their history. General Motors
Chrysler, WHY'S Overland, Hudson
| md one or two more seem likely tc
produce more cars this year than ever
before. Some will make big profits
and some will find the profit margin
somewhat narrow despite large sales
A number of other producers have
been doing badly and with increased
competition they seem likely to dc
worse. Not few good judges antici
pate reduction of the number OF
concerns in the field before 1928.
Two lines of customers are beipg
followed closely, those in foreign
fields and those who may be possible
owners of two cars. The foreign fields
scarcely have been touched and here
Ford has an advantage since he has
paid special attention to this trade.
General Motors foreign sales, how
ever, have increased over Is per cent
in the last year and other companies
have done we'll abroad also.