Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-27
DECREASE IN VALUE
OF PARTS INDUSTRY
PA Per Cent Drop Shown in
Bodies and Other Auto
Accessories.

The Department of Commerce an
nounces that, according to data
collected at the biennial census of
manufacturers taken in 1928, the
establishments engaged primarily in the
manufacture of motor vehicle bodies
and motor Sehjcle parts reported
products valued at $1,151 ,426,365, a de-
crease of 24.4 per cent, as compared
with $1,523, 279,923 for 1925, the last
preceding census year.
The principal items entering into the
total for 1927 are as follows: 1,746,67l
closed passenger car bodies, valued at
$406, 1882, 6l6: 1861 open passenger car
bodies, $l0,033,82 1925 truck bodies,
SGT ,405 063; gears transmission, differ
entail, etc.. $57.477, 522; 1888, 485 COM
plete steering gear units, $17,926266;
frames. assembled and unassembled,
$685. 1877; 1882, 1866 wheels, $40,-
1912; radiators (shells and coreS) +,
$50, 723,899; 1,755,089 front axles,
$685. 68; 1,490,584 rear axles (com-
plete), $64 1884, 255; bumpers and bump
eretteS. $16.112,959: 20,794.961 rims,
$13,931, 569, and 3,198, 764 shock absorb
ers, $12,499,522.
Classification Explained.
The establishments classified in this
industry are those engaged primarily
in the manufacture (for sale as such or
for transfer to motor vehicle manufac-
turing plants in other localities, but
operated under the same ownership of
motor vehicle bodies, parts and assem-
blies, not including complete chassis,
siy4rrr tNnf%
apparatus and starting and lighting
systems, which for census purposes are
classified in other industries. Where
bodies and parts are made and assem-
bled into complete motor vehicles in the
same plant the plant as whole is
classified in the motor vehicle industry
proper. The statistics in this report do
not, therefore, cover the manufacture of
all motor vehicle bodies and parts, but
only the classes specified which are
made for replacement or for assembly
into complete motor vehicles in other
plants.
In making use of the figures in this
report it must be kept in mind that they
include some duplication, due OF the fact
that certain simple parts are sold by
some manufacturers to other manufac-
turerS who install them in more COM
pick parts and assemblies. For example,
some manufacturers of rear-aXle houS-
ingS sell them to manufacturers of
complete rear-axle assemblies and as a
result the value of the housings is dupli-
Gated in the total for the industry.
1918 Plants Report.
Or the 1918 establishments reporting
for 1927, 173 were located in New York,
l4l in Ohio, lit in Michigan, lib in
Illinois, lot in California. So in Penn
sylvania, SO in Indiana, So in MaSSa-
chnSetts, 49 in Rev Jersey, 43 in Wis
tonsin, 38 in Missouri, 81 in Connecti-
cut, % in Iowa, 20 in Minnesota, 10 in
Washington, Ia in Texas, IL in Mary
land and the remaining 112 in % other
States. In 1925 the industry was rep
resented by 1853 establishments, the
decrease to 1918 in 1927 being the net
result of a loss of $50 and gain of 1856.
The losses were due to several causes,
namely: ID A considerable number of
establishments which reported for 1925
went out of business prior to 1927; (2)
Others ceased manufacturing and con-
fined their work almost entirely to
custom work and repairing; CD some
reported commodities other than motor
vehicle bodies and motor vehicle parts
as their principal products for 1927 and
were accordingly transferred to the ap-
propriate industries; "a a number were
idle throughout the entire year 1927; (5)
and some reported products valued at
less than $1,000 for 1927. mo data are
tabulated at the biennial censuses for
establishments with products under
$4,000 in value.) The gains were ac-
counted for in part by the transfer of
establishments from other industries
because of changes in the character Of
their principal products, and in part by
the fact that some establishments re-
ported for the first time at the present
census.