Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-27
AUTO|STS GROWING
STYLE-CONSCIOUS
Trait Plays Vital Role in
Form Body and CoIors
of Models.

The United States has grown style
conscious factor that Is playing a
tremendously vital role in debating the
form, cout and beauty Of the modern
automobile as we'll as even the most
prosaic northumberland the develop
ment of art in the automotive industry.
which recently has begun in big way,
will play an increasingly important part
in the future, according to C. T.
Churchill, general sales manager of the
Buick Motor Co.
In all our necessities Of life. utili-
tartan value has come first, to be fol-
lowed later by style and beauty value"
he says, and continues:
Naturally, this growing conscious
ness is based on the widespread pros
perity of the country, which enables the
people to satisfy their tastes for beauty
as well as comfort As result. style
and beauty in automobile bodies and
interiors are developing into real and
distinct art.
This is not alone peculiar TO the
automobile industry. because 1t is APP
parent in many other lines of COM
moditieS, bat naturally becomes more
pronounced in those commodities which
represent large individual invest
ment. There are few individual pur-
claSes in life outside of home, that
represent a larger initial expenditure
than a motor car In such large pur-
chaseS it is obvious that tastes are most
critical.
Should Possess Beauty.
Another important factor is the gen.
orally growing recognition that there
should be no distinction of art-as be-
tween something apart and sacred and
the expression of art in our Industrial
life. Art and beauty spring from the
life of the people of any period; it is
the expression of the fabric Of their
social and industrial life. and certainly
should form part of their everyday
life. There is no reason why even the
most unitarian article should not at
the same time possess beauty Of line and
color and adornment.
This trend of art and beauty in the
motor car industry does not signify
that there viii be catering to individual
tastes. This is impossible in a large
production industry if costs are to be
kept down. The style design of good
car can stand upon its merit and prove
itself.
styles change slowly and style ap-
taken years to bring cars to the me-
chanical excellence they possess today,
and it will take time for the various
large companies to evolve styles that
will be d Stinctive and fundamental.
These fundamental designs will evolve
for the various companies as the me-
chanical features of the cars have
evolved.
Naturally body style is a potent fac
tor in car sales and will be the stimuli
lant that will help in the evolution of
finer and more artistic lines. Yet it is
a sales stimulant that must be handled
carefully, lest it defeat its very purpose.
European Influence.
at strikes me that European body
design will have a marked influence
on the design of our cars. The rich
European background of art and Gull
ture has given them a knowledge, taste
and desire for the beautiful which can
enable us to enrich our products. Nat
urally whatever we adopt will have to
be translated into terms indigenous to
our country and our needs. Mechani-
cally, for our needs at least, I doubt
whether there is much that We can
borrow from our European cousins.
During the last five years We have
made marked improvements in the
beauty Of lines of our cars and interior
equipment. In fact, we made a greater
development in body design in these
years than in the previous 10 years.
And undoubtedly we will make greater
strides in the next five years than in
any other five years since the begin
ming of the industry.
"Coincident with this development,
and, in fact. an integral part of it, will
be the more artistic use of coloring.
We have come to learn number of
things about the optical illusions that
various colors afford-the impressions
that they give-of bulk, of height or
lowness, of fieetness and speed. We
are giving more thought to the blend
ing Of colors to produce a more SYM
mctrical effect.
"Of course, all this discussion of art
and beauty in motor car bodies pre-
supposes continued refinement in me-
chanical design. Nor will beautiful
body sell a car alone. Car perform
ance and car reputation over a period
of years will still continue to represent
the basic reason for the widespread
preference for the cars that are noted
for endurance and excellence of me-
chanical design. But these things be-
ing equal as between two different
makes of cars, the body style will I'M
doubtedly tip the sale in that direc-
ton"