Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-26
AUTO SALES STEADY
DESPITE WEATHER
Report Says Late Spring Has
Had Little Effect on
Market.

In spite of the generally widespread
discussion of the harm done to the
automotive industry through adverse
weather conditions and a late Spring
season, the harmful effects have actu-
ally failed to 1naterialize so far this
year. This condition Is borne out by
actual figures compiled from Nation
wide survey OF retail markets by Cram S
Automotive Reports, Inc. of Detroit,
authorities and analysts on the auto
motive industry.
In reality there has been no Spring
this year, and that fact is continually
being brought forward as an indication
that 1929 automobile sales are not up
to the level which is expected Of them.
In the face of actual sales achieve
nentS by the industry in the first four
and one-half months Of this year, this
attitude cannot carry much weight. AS
a matter of fact, the late or practically
nonresident Spring weather may have
a decidedly beneficial influence on the
industry in 1929.
Peak Reached Early.
1t must be remembered that in the
past the industry has usually reached
its peak in April or May. with steady
downward trend in sales from that
sales ordinarily low in January and
February opened up in a good volume
Immediately after the first of the year,
and while the peak may be reached in
May, it is very doubtful if the upward
swing to the peak will be as abrupt as
it has been in the majority Of other
years.
This means that sales have been
spread out over period of five months
iVaCf nf tna in
day period. as the industry has come to
expect from past performances. And
because there has been no rush of sales,
but a more even and less fluctuating
market, it Is very probable that this
market stability will be maintained for
some time instead of showing a pre-
cipitous drop from the peak, which un-
der normal circumstances might be ex-
pected at about the present time.
The fact that there has been no
sudden rush of sales toward a peak
prior to May does not indicate any
particular dizziness In the retail mar
ket. Consumer sales have been in suffi-
Gent volume to make legitimate the
record production since the first Of the
year. Sales at the present time are at
record or near record levels. The i'm
portant detail Is the fact that sales
since the first of the year have been
above the seasonal average to such an
extent that the higher levels of March.
April and May have not been reached
through a sharp upward increase. In
stead the approach to present levels has
been gradually although steadily higher.
Good Future Seen.
Perhaps it has been as the result of
a late season and unfavorable Spring
that sales have not peaked. If the
Spring weather had been good, there is
no telling to what volume sales might
have reached.
But the fact that sales at the present
time are below the apparent potential
capacity Of the market Is relatively I'M
important. 1t is certain that the poten-
TALLY OF the market will neither in
crease or diminish to any extent in the
immediate future. Accordingly the in
dustry faces the prospects Of selling a
record volume Of cars during 1929, but
the sales volume will not necessarily
reach astounding proportions during the
first half of the year and then decline
to comparatively small volume in the
last six months.
What will probably happen-and the
magnitude of the untitled market at
the present time bears out this sup
position, Is that the volume will aver
with the total being ahead of any pre-
vious year. In other words, all previous
records may or may not be broken, but
in the end the industry will be SUBJ
stantially better on, for the reason that
seasonal fluctuations will be held to a
minimum. For an industry that has
been as susceptible to seasonal influ-
ences as the automotive industry this
will be remarkable achievement.