The Washington times., 1928-11-14
1928 AUTOS GET
BIG | NJ P { 7 j 5
IN SALES

DETROIT, Mich. Nov. New
models, improved styles, automobile
shows and special campaigns Will
all add impetus to new car sales
In 1929 according to b. ii. Cram,
president of Grams Automotive Re-
ports, Inc, industry authority. But
It is q question as to whether or
not basic conditions will be strong
Bnough to support these sales after
the impetus has been given.
III we assume, that all conditions
will be conducive to. a. good auto
mobile business in 1929, we are stlil
confronted by the problem of what
nature Of the automotlve market
will be-.
The automotive industry Is SO
complex and presents such VARIETY
Of aspects that no general SET OF
principles or assumptions can be
relied upon to apply regularly 10
all the different branches.
Changes i'm Shift
New car sales may be high Owe:
one period, while used-cars VIII
move 50 slowly as to materially
harm one part of the Industry.
while high.priced car manufacturers
NAV show substantial losses. The
trend is seldom uniform throughout
the industry, and it is the deter
nlination of that trend Whlch IS
of the utmost Importance.
Nineteen twenty-eight, for IN
stance. shows a strong increase in
low and high.priced car sales as
compared with 1927. Available sta
tistics show that to date the former
group increased las per cent ana
the latter 24.3 per cent.
On the other hand, medium priced
ear sales have shown an increase
of only 1 per cent.
This data, in itself. offers some
yery interesting suggestions. Most
of all. it indicates. a strong low
Driced car recovery from 1927, and
vet circumstances are such as to
suggest that the current sales volume
which has been responsible for this
14.5 per cent increase. has not
changed particularly and that the
demand has not yet been filled.
Market Nears
The spring and early summer pc
riod presents good market ordl-
narily, and this market should be
in evidence in the early part of the
coming year This means that the
volume producers will show little
change in their schedules until after
June.
Ford output is increasing grad
nalIy and should reach its maximum
early next year. While the exact
number of untitled Ford orders is
not known, reports from dealers
show it to be substantial. with the
possibility of current output being
able to fill the requirements being
very remote.
This means that. in addition to
the approximate 225, 900 cars turned
out by the leading low-priced manu-
facturers, such as Chevrolet. WHY'S |
Overland. Durant and one or two
others. there should be at least an |
additional 100000 Fords turned out
each month for the first six months. |
Models Came Late
Medium.priced car sales, with an
increase in 1928 of only l per cent, |
were not up to the general average
established by the industry.
The chief reason for this was the |
fact that producers in this class did
not change their models until late |
in the summer. and accordingly did
not offer the same sales appeal as
the low priced and high-priced cars
did.
however, akISf- the new HlO0tlS
were brought out sales began to.
increase over preceding months, all
though they remained under the
totals for the previous year.
This lack of q sudden and sharp
upward swing is directly traceable
TO the fact that these new models
were too late to get into the best
selling season of the year.
1t is too late in 1928 now to look
for any particular improvement. |
But with the seasonal trend in 1929
sales should move ahead rapiSiy for |
+. the medium-priced cars.
Undoubtedly there is a large un-
filled market for this class of car
which should open up as soon as
the right season comes.
II this market assumes the pro- |
portions to which it is entitled, that |
is, an increase as large as the other
two class markets have had, the
first six months of. 1929 should |
show a medium price sales increase |
of about 20 per cent. over the same !
period OF 1928.