Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-04
AUTOSALES DRIVE
PLANNED FOR 1881
Expectation Of Business Up
turn Encourages New Cam
paign of Manufacturers.
BY DAVID J. WLKTE,
Associated Press Staff Writer.


DETROIT, December 4.-If the plans
Of the motor car industry do not go
awry, there will be produced-and more
important, there will be sold-approxi-
mately 100000 cars and trucks in
1881. This estimate, the first veiltured
as to the outlook for next year, comes
from an authoritative source and Is
based upon the expectation of at least
Q moderate upturn in business.
A sales drive such as the automobile
industry has not witnessed for several
years, apparently is in preparation and
will get under way shortly after the
annual national shows next month.
The groundwork for the big push"
has been started Since early last
month several hundred distributors and
key dealers from throughout the East
ern part of the country have visited
Detroit, Flint, Pontiac and Lansing to
inspect new models and discuss at f1rst
hand national and local sales problems
with executives of the home offices. In
addition, many thousands of dealers
are attending zone meetings held in the
larger cities in connection With new
model announcements.
More Meetings Planned.
2 More dealer delegations are planning
to hold promotional meetings in Janu-
O~~~~~N0O -
Detroit shows.
one of the most active companies in
preparing for the sales campaign is the
Chevrolet division of General Motors.
Chevrolet is understood to be aiming
at a sales volume of net less than
10000 units in 1881. A series OF 5O
meetings in as many zone center5 began
on November z. The meetings, each OF
which lasts two days, cover virtually
tered in the distribution OF automo-
biles. There are classes in financing,
accounting, service methods and used
car merchandising, Illustrated with mo-
ton pictures.
Chevrolet, which recently brought
out a new model, has given probably
more than ordinary attention to the
building up of its dealer organization
since the break of last Fall.
Referring to activities at the Ford
plants in the Detroit district, the Mich
igan Manufacturer and Financial Rec
ord In its current issue, says:
Things at Dearborn are, II anything,
more quiet than usual, but there is a
feeling in the trade that Ford is set
ting the stage for a spectacular sales
program. to be announced probably in
the first part of January. Mr.. Ford has
stated that there will be no important
duced this year. but talk of price cut
persists in Detroit and it would not be
surprising if this should be the basis
of 1891 sales drive"
The Ford Co. has been working On
g three-day-a-week schedule for some
time. Reports were circulated in De-
troit during the last week that a large
number of those working on the three
day schedule had been laid of, but
A. 4. l.. fe
however, that if the schedule Is not
increased to four or five days week
early in January, many thousands will
be returned to work on the three-day
basis to step up production in antieipa-
ton of vigorous 1881 sales program.
Normal Estimate.
II the industrys output in 1881 APP
proximateS 4,500,00O units, it will ex-
coed the expected production of the
present year by close to 100000 cars
and trucks, and will reach what the
industry regards as normal years
output. More important than the fact
of an approximately normal output
however, is the fairly reasonable aSSur-
ance that whatever the aggregate pro-
duction amounts to, it will be dis
posed Of to the consumer. Through
steady scaling down OF production the
motor car industry has disposed OF an
enormous surplus left over from last
year and actually level OF produc-
ticn to demand.
With the industrys executives agreed
that their 1929-30 difficulties were due
mainly to a production program gone
Wild" it IS a safe conjecture that CON
trolled production" as the adjustment
of production to demand is called, is
to become permanent policy with the
automobile industry.