Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-06

what progressive manufacturers
n and engineers long have be-
.lieved. Power is becoming more and
more important as a safety factor.
The stalled engine is passing into
the discard and overpowered cars
are becoming the rule rather than
the exception. There is a very def
mite reason for this trend. In the
first place, the majority of those
who drive cars today are not cleo
tricians, engineers or mechanics, and
It is unreasonable to expect them
to. motor in such a way as to give
their engines every opportunity TO
perform their finest. It has been
found that the best way TO meet
TO provide an abundance of power.
1t is interesting to observe the
part the airplane is playing in
changing the automobile line. Now
considered A necessity. the multi
engine passenger aeroplane has
come TO stay in the more successful
lines of air travel The Imperial
Airway. which now is in control of
all English air lines. accepted an
operating loss of Sl0S,500 in order
TO replace it's one-cngine planes
with multi-engine types. An official
OF the company is reported to have
said that the single engine machines
were excellent but that they were
taken off in order to provide better
service from the standpoint of safe
ty and reliability.
Much of the scrapping of Ameri-
can cars in favor OF their more pow
erful successors appears to be but
reflection OF what is happening
in airplane transportation. It not
only is case of buying a new car
to be up-to-date, and to enjoy the
numerous happy features which the
later cars provide. but the more i'm
portant feature of the whole trend
is the replacement of the weakling
ears by the safer and more powerful
ones.
1t isn't a question of buying a
new and more powerful car to burn
up the road" but rather to eniov
those advantages of safety which
only a more powerful engine can
provide.
There was something unique, yet
rich and dignified. in the announce
ment of the new LaSalle car during
the past week. Not only was there
no loud trumpeting, no extravagant
boastlng, nor yet any predictions as
to what the new car would probably
do to competitors, but il was an
nounced as "a companion car" to
be shown at the Cadillac Spring
salon, a national affair. In other
words. the announcement of the
LaSalle was, seemingly. part of an
advertisement announcing a showing
of Cadillacs
The whole thing was rather
typical of the lifelong conduct of
the company behind the car and
characteristic of the individuals con-
cerned with its making and market
ing, from the highest officials at the
factory to local dealers and their
statesmen.
Announcement of the LaSalle also
adds a new car TO the General
Motors line, marks the first instance
the Cadillac factory has made any
other than a Cadillac car and for
the first time i'll many years gives
Rudolph Jose, veteran local auto
mobile dealer, something to sell
other than the Cadillac.
II
Nothing better than motoring il-
illustrates the point that humanity
rarely knows when it is we'll off.
How often has every driver wished
for a marvellous stretch of highway
built without any crossroads, blind
driveways and dangerous curves,
without approaching that it might
be the very thing that he wants
least of all?
In the East there is a 45-mile road
built like railway. A nominal fee
Is charged to enter its right of way
There are no speed laws-nothing
in fact, TO annoy one. And yet it
10 not q success. One could be
ditched" and stranded on this road
and no one would know it until il
was too late to be of assistance.
~
High-compression automobile en-
gines are nearer, in the opinion oil
somaobservers of automotive trends
One has been hearing for severa
years about the adoption of this
principle on a wide scale, with the
prospect of creating an automobile
which will give 50 miles to the gallon
of gasoline.
The chief obstacle TO the adoption
OF engines of higher compression
haAbeen an inadequate distribution
of:fhe grade of fuel essential 70:
thistype of power plant. This OBJ.
staoie rapidly is being overcome
Motorists in no part of the countr,
ara. having great difficulty in finding
q fueh superior to that which they
uaed~a few years ago.
Recognition of this point by tn.
automobile maker is seen in the fac
that the 1927 car has a higher com
preston ratio than its immediat,
predecessor. This is not true in al
instances, OF course, but it is true il
a sufficient number TO very def1nitei,
classify the movement as trend.
%*.*
General prosperity seems to b.
playing an important role in improv
ing ~QliQlLiOlAs lI dutOIiODIiG IMAM
cling. More and more persons ar,
buying cars for cash. despite tn
many who are finding the install
rnent plan handy way 10 plac
their families on an automotiv
basis.
Seventy-hve per cent of the new
cars sold in 1925 were financed. Las
year, the percentage dropped TO "a
rejecting the strong cash position
Of the public.