Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-17

A1-oS, has StdEICu. II VIII NOttihu
until January. by which time it prob
ably will have attained the force o
deluge.
And, as always, with the comm;
of the first of the pre-dated models
speculation turns to the question o
what the 1923 car is to be. Despit
the justifiablc secrecy on the manu-
facturers' part, there are trends il
design that, watched closely, give
fairly good idea of what is TO come.
This year prophecy is RENDERED
doubly difficult because of the off
standard" effects that competition
has had upon the entire industry
Engineering circles have sense tina
some one is going to spring some
thing" When they are asked wha
is to be sprung and who will do tn,
springing. they frankly admit com
plete bafflcment. But the battle TO
business is incomparably keen ant
every laboratory is working intense
ly for the engineering or design not,
that can be counted upon to catcf
the public interest.
X X X
However, based upon the expert
ence of last January. when the auto
mobile market was fairly delugec
with new makes and models, tht
forecast that emphatically suggest:
itself is that the changes that arr
to be made in the 1928 cars scarcel,
will come under the heading "radi
cal" The 1927 models proved beyond
all doubt that vastly superior cal
could be made by refining its prede.
cessor instead of resorting to new
principles.
Another factor in the belief tina,
there will be no radical departures i:
that important changes in various
cars have been made this year as
rapidly as they became available in
stead of being withheld until the
regular season for the introduction
of the 1925. For instance, weeks
ago one of the largest makers OF
tour-cylinder cars came out with ar
entirely new power plant and a gear
SHIFT change. together with new body
styles. This enterprising concern
did not wait, but tried to catch in
with its new line on the heavy buy
ing season swell
Again, did not the company manu-
featuring one of the most popular
light skies halt operations to make
alterations in its plant equipment in
order to turn out much changed
car? Closing down a factory run
ming at full speed is almost unthink-
able, but it was done. Naturally. the
manufacturer who struck this unique
note is quite confident that it will be
a most profitable one. The car in
question is back on the market with
larger, more powerful motor, re-
hnements have been put into its op-
Grating features and slight altera-
tons have been made in the body
to create more roominess.
In appearance the 1928 models will
offer some slight changes, in that
many makers probably will adopt de-
sign details already in limited use.
For instance, the narrow. deep radi-
ator is not an entirely new note, but
it viii have wider application. In
addition to imparting 1.-THE raciness
to the car, this feature contributes
to an appearance of general lowness.
On all of the cars thus far intro
duced, this feature has been evident,
emphatically SO in the case of one
of the largest selling tours and a
popular six in the medium-price field,
both of which previously were char
acterized by relatively broad, squatty
radiators.
The effort to get cars closer to the
ground. actually and in appearance,
continues. This accounts for the
trend toward smaller wheels, which
.also is not an untouched field. since
one manufacturer moved in this d.
rection almost a year ago. The
maker of three popular six-cylinder
cars that for many years have occu-
pied prominent position recently
adopted this feature. Another we'll
known car of the same type power
plant is resorting to a similar prac-
tice in striving for low appearance.
The latter car, the engine of which
recently was adopted for commercial
vehicles which utilize worm drive,
may be the next passenger automo-
bile to adopt this type of final drive
Here is another evidence of the eff
fort for closeness to the ground.
+ y 81
"Cheat lines" those frankly named
creations that give an appearance OF
clear lowness that could not other
wise be achieved. are to be still
further used. One of the makes that
adhered for quite while to one line
is being produced to much better
effect in two on all its closed models
The sun-visor probably will be
used more extensively. In one OF
the new cars, it is true, the visor is
prominent by its absence, but in the
majority this is not the case. Built
integral with the top of the closed
car, as it is in most cases today, it
has an attraction that overcomes the
Older objections to it.
LouverS-hood ventilatorszare be.
coming very prominent in automo-
bile design. After remaining station
airy in the vertical position, they
suddenly have taken TO running in
every direction. In addition to the
single series of vertical lowers. still
generally employed. one finds them
arranged i'll horizontal and diagonal
positions and scattered over the side
of the hood in groups.
Refinement of various trends that
made their appearance last Winter
will contribute to the interior ap-
pearance of both open and closed
models. New gestures in indirect
lighting. combined with even more
harmonious grouping of instruments
on single panel. will make the vista
Immediately in front of the driver
more alluring. Interior body trim
finished in natural grain-a feature