Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-12
AUTOMAKERS SEE
TURN FOR BETTER
Increase in Retail Demand
Held Not Due to Price
Reductions.
BY DAVID J. WILKIE,
Associated Press STAFF Writer.

DETROIT, September 12.-For the
first time since last Spring, when 1t be-
came definitely evident that the INDUS
trial depression was to be more than
passing wave of restrained buying,
leaders of the automobile industry are
beginning to give out optimistic state
ments and supporting them with sta
tiStics seeming to justify their more
hopeful tenor.
1t is noteworthy that the increased
retail demand reported by automobile
executives is largely among the lower
price classifications. Coincident with
the increase in new-car deliveries come
reports that sales Of used cars by deal
ers also have shown a Slight increase
in some sections. The increased distri-
button of used cars is cited as showing
that the upward trend noted is not que
entirely to price reductions recently an
nounced.
SAYS Tide Has Turned.
Chief among the companies reporting
announcement in retail distribution have
been divisions of the General Motors
Corporation, like Chevrolet and Oak
land. Declaring that inventories are
practically depleted" w. A. Blees, wee
president of the Oakland Motor Car Co.,
Expressed the opinion that the business
recession has been due largely TO
buyers strike" and adds:
"The tide evidently has turned and
increased buying Is bringing business
back to normal.
with announcement by the Packard
Motor Car Co. of its new models, fore
cast some time ago with price reouc-
ton on current production, there re-
mains but one more new model in I'M
mediate prospect. When this Is intro
duced it is probable that no more new
models will come out until the National
Motor Shows next January. So many
new types have been brought out DUR
ing the Summer, however, that the au-
tomobile shows probably will present
relatively few new models.
It is one of the characteristics OF the
motor car industry that it never stands
still: it always presents or has in the
making something new. One OF the
most recent innovations is the appli-
cation of a Diesel motor TO commercial
truck and bus use. Sponsored by one
of the industry's pioneers, experiments
have been conducted with a truck
powered by a four-cylinder Diesel en-
CINE, with results said to have been sat-
isfactory in every respect. Using fuel
oil costing 4 cents a gallon. the truck
has been driven with load weighing
$500 pounds from its factory in Michi-
gan to New York, at an average speed
of 80 miles an hour and total cost
for fuel of less than 81. Plans for
commercial development of the new
motor have not been announced.
Problem of Weight.
One of the greatest difficulties auto
motive engineers have encountered in de-
clipping the Diesel principle to the point
where it could be applied to other than
stationary power plants has been that
Of reducing the engines weight. The
Diesel engine differs from the normal
gasoline motor chiefly in the use of
crude oil and the fact 1t requires no ig-
milton system. The tremendous heat de-
veloped by compression causes the ex-
blossoms in the combustion chambers.
The research laboratories of the auto
mobile industry also are striving for
lighter weight in the normal gasoline
engine. One of the leading engineers
in the industry predicts the development
of a metal many times lighter and of
greater strength than any now known
to science. Merely putting on a new
shape of radiator cap or larger hub caps
is not going to fool people any longer"
he said There should be no reason
why engineers today cannot build mo-
tor car that will weigh only two pounds
for each horsepower developed"