Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-27
PROGRESS OF AUTO
LAID TO OPEN MIND
Oakland Official Says Growth
Hinges on Constant Work
to Better Product.

"Open- mindedneSs, believe, has
been major factor in sweeping the
automobile from scratch to first place
in the industrial universe So long as
this same attitude prevails the auto
motive industry faces a normal. con-
strictive. healthy period of growth" -
This statement is made by w. r..
Tracy, vice president of the Oakland
Motor Car Co.
Competition has been keen, but not
vin1ictive The frequent reductions in
motor car prices have been the result
of sound merchandising practice, pass
ing along to the public the economy of
mass production, rather than as a de-
fensive measure forced by competition.
"A singularly high type of business
ethics has been evolved by the auto
mobile manufacturer in that he has
been more concerned with putting out
the. best possible car for the money
than in worrying about the next move
Of his neighbor.
Attitude Has Been. Constructive.
His attitude has been constructive.
His mind has been open. aggressive and
Cl1aD
might improve his product.
In granting to the manufacturer a
good share of the credit for the relative
standing OF the industry, I do not lose
sight OF the fact that to all appearances
the, automobile market was an easy one
to SELL The potential car market was
always there. 1t has, been said that
the history of civilization is the history
Of transportation. Civilization. in its
forward march, was willing at any time
to seize upon the most practical and
efncient means of getting from here to
there.
If the internal combustion engine
had been perfected earlier we might
easily have had million-car years a CEN
fury or two ago.
Without precedent to hem him in
or hldebound conservation to construct
his ideas, the automobile mannfactnrer
has gone forward largely along virgin
lines that give him a production and
merchandising set-up unique in Ameri-
can industry
His policy of OPEN mindedness begins
properly In his research and expert
mental divisions. Here ideas are con-
stantly f1ltering through for wedding
out or refining. Perhaps only one in
~ has merit. Perhaps only one in a
hundred. But from this crucible of
raw material comes the new car model
or Improvement.
Experimentation Cited.
Certain vital factors in car design
ing cannot, as is popularity supposed.
De inquired out on paper. Engineering
theory will serve only up to a well de-
fined limit. Beyond that point the
procedure is largely that of experiment
For example, power plant made
larger develops crankshaft whip or
torsion. Instead Of going into an ex-
ecutive session to try to remedy it the
engineering staff builds larger crank
shaft into the engine and tests it.
CONFERENCE.-The may be added or a har-
monte balancer attached to the shaft.
One Or combination of two or more
1atcors Will bring the desired result. The
method is not one of calculation but
OF testing and discarding.
Prejudice does not figure in such
work. Similarly, no new idea, no mat
Ter now fanatic on the surface, is tossed
away until thoroughly tested and dis
proved.
An open mind is requisite in the
automottye industry because the picture
Is undergoing swift and constant
change. few years ago the manufac-
turer was building a flill-climbing car.
He was concerned then primarily with
the American market. Today he is
BUILDING car that operates as well
on the hills of Pennsylvania as on the
plains OF the Middle West, and a car
that meets the driving requirements of
severe Canadian Winter as well as the
intense heat of Midsummer in the
tropics.
His zeal for the new and better and
his willingness to meet adverse factors
nave enabled the American manufac-
turer TO achieve first place in the in
dustrial field and to put his product
Anto every country on the globe"