Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-25
IMPROVED AUTOS
FORECAST IN 1928
New Standard of Quality De.
veloped, According to
B. H. Cram.

AS the industry prepares 70 enter
productions on its 1925 models, follow
ing a period of change,over during
the past few weeks, it is quite evil
cent that a new standard Of quality
mas been developed, according to r,
n. Cram, president Of Grams Auto.
motive Reports, Inc. Of Detroit. in,
oustry authority. Mr.. Cram said:
The buying public has for the
past several years recognized that its
dollar had much more value in the
automotive market than in any other.
with the result that sales have held
at high levels. But. VIC are con-
WINGED that the coming year will find
the automotive dollar value still fur
Their enhanced,
From our knowledge Of the prod.
ncts that manufacturers are going
70 place on exhibition at the New
York show. and Al the same time
cfer for sale through their dealer
the history Of the industry as a year
OF remarkable rrocress-especially
from a quality standpoint.
All Good Now.
Automobiles have long since
passed the stage where some were
5000 and others were not. 1t is now
generally conceded that all cars hold
ing position in the industry are good
merchandise. otherwise they would
have no place in the market. But,
next year they are going to be better
The automobiles that are now be-
Ing made ready exemplify in a strik-
lnS way the remarkable advancement
that is still being made hy this great
industry. You Will find in l92S that
tire range of difference between
high price. medium price and low
Price automobiles has been greatly
lesSene6.
or course, we do not mean 10
convey that these three groups of
cars will not continue to represent
class values and hold their rcspec-
tive markets.. They will But we are
Of the opinion that the quality gap
has been reduced. and that it is now
more question IF value on a dol.
lar and cents basis. In other words.
value VIII have more Of an economic
meaning than ii has in the past he
cause value will he based entirely
on quality. and maximum quality
VIII he assured in return for the
purchase price.
Nineteen twenty-eight will mark
a new era. Not alone will this he
confined to quality of product. There
win. Of necessity. be a great forward
step in manufacture. II is quite evil
dent that with greatly improved
products. selling at practically the
same prices as the old models-or
possibly less before the year is over
that the unit profit 10 the manufac-
turer would be much less than is
now the case. unless something was
done TO reduce costs.
Done i'm All Plants.
This something. we find, is now
being done in practically every auto
motive plant And it's answer is
again given in the Ford announce
rnent that production facilities have
h. IN increased To a point where 1t
will be possible TO build IL 900 cars
a day. as compared 10 the previous
average level Of approximately $500
Units a DAY
This increa Sod production is posi-
bile through new manufacturing
efficiency that has been developed,
And based on the economies that
are therebs effected il Is possible TO
hold the price Of the product 10 prac-
fscslly the same levels and still have
little or no change in unit profit.
Other manufacturers have like
wise been working on the same theory
during the past year. and when 1898
gets into foil swing IL will find that
the automotiye industry in general
has further perfected a uanufactur
ing efficiency that had previously
been thought at its highest possible
level"