Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-21
AUTO'SMECHAN|CAL|
future IS PICTURED
Day of Pioneer Is Far From
Being Past, Observer Holds,
Citing Constant Research.

Because of the close relationship
which the average person holds to the
automotive industry through no other
medium than the ownership of car
the interest in developments AFFECT
ing the industry generally is given tne
closest attention by the public, accord
ing the B. H. Cram. president OF Grams
Automotive Reports. Inc.
The strength, position, earnings ana
personnel of the great manufacturing
concerns are common knowledge to
hundreds of thousands of people. The
newspapers are full OF articles concern
ing the daily habits and activities OF the
industry's leaders.
Yet from the standpoint of mechan-
1cal development the layman knows put
little. The announcement OF new mod
els and the Inauguration of new styles
are watched with the keenest interest.
But at the same time little is actually
known of the steady trend which is al
ways evident and which ultimately
brings about Improvements in opera
ton and performance.
Aspects of the competitive markets In
the industry this year offer almost alb
solute proof that the margins OF COM
petition cannot be measured by the
color of a body, the length of wheel
base or the number Of cylinders under
the hood The motor car today Is a
product of such high and varied utll-
ity that no one set of specifications ever
will fill universal demand for the au-
tomobile
In addition to this important phase
there is another development that is OF
more than passing importance-the
seeming trend toward more power. The
four-cylinder car has been proven to
fill a place of its own. However, the
generally accepted standard is for the
six-cylinder car, but under the impetus
of competition 1929 has witnessed the
invasion of the loW-priced car into the
eight-cylinder field. 1t cannot be be-
lieved that the transition will end with
the point it has already reached. Al
ways looking ahead. the industry is al
ready surrounded by run1ors of IL and
Is cylinder models in the medium
group.
This is extremely significant, for &C
knowledged as the fact is that the in
duStry has not yet reached the acme
of mechanical perfection, exploration
in a complete revision of our present
conception of the ordinary as far as
motive power is concerned. 1t is Sit
uation which observers of the industry
should follow with the closest atten-
ton.
In this same regard, the advent OF
the front-wheel drive may within a
period of only few years completely
revise the standard condition as it ex-
lists now, or it may in time be relegated
to the heaven where impractical expert
ments ultimately go. Unquestionably
the front-wheel drive has powerful ad-
vantages and strong points of merit, and
here again is a development to be
closely watched. for the final outcome
cannot yet be seen.
The intense interest in aeronauticS
has been supplemented by experiments
in the Diesel engine field. Quite con-
ceivably the Diesel engine can be
adapted to automotive use and will, as
time goes on. receive more and more
attention from the industry's engineers.
Because so little is now known about it
the possibilities of this motor are in
finite. and or 10 years hence may see
the Diesel principle in every automobile
that comes off the production line.
Because the field of mechanics Is ac-
quiring knowledge so rapidly and be-
cause changes in the future probably
will be more radical more sound and
more rapid than those of the past, it is
folly to accept as orthodox anything
that is at the moment satisfactory. The
dav of the pioneer in the automotive
industry is not past He will, in the
months and years to come, offer many
new ideas and will make great many
people rich.