Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-21
1881 SEEN AS YEAR
Of REIMBURSEMENT
Wider Variety of Autos and
improved Sales Methods
Scheduled.
Special Dispatch to The star.

Special Dispatch 10 The Star.
DETROIT, September 20-The year
1891 is going to bring with II a re-
adjusted automobile industry
In part It will be brought about
through lessons the makers have learned
as the result Of defiation that set in
one wear ago. Since that time virtually
every factory has modified both pro-
duction and distribution to cope with
changing conditions. Instead OF con-
tracing however the business gives
promise of expansion.
Since January | of this year the
automobile magnates have discovered a
number Of things. One is that there
are marketing opportunities for wider
variety Of cars than have ever been
offered in the past, This has been
demonstrated by the advent Of the
bantam and pony" types of miniature
care and also the multiple cylinder
types that run n 10 and l5 cylinders.
Thus the lineup Of makes is being
videned at the extreme crds to make
low-priced cars on the one hand and
high-priced cars on the other cover
wider range of usefulness.
News of the Week.
News Of the week tells Of the COM
pleted plan to produce in this country
the French Mathis car which is to
JOIN the American edition OF the Eng
Lsh Austin in the midget division. Also
chronicled is the near approach of the
Cadillac VIZ introduction, with the
assurance that Marmon is to be further
represented by new 10" which also
is to use a "" power plant.
An additional changing phase Of the
automobile trade will be found in i'm
proved sales an d service methods be-
ginning with 1881.
That such changes were under con-
sideration became apparent earlier in
the year through announcements Of
two Of the industTy's leaders.
Calling attention TO the need for re-
form in automobile distribution, Alvan
Macauley, president Of the National
Automobile Chamber of Commerce,
sounded a warning note.
Lock out for the new methods" he
said; they are coming Measure for
q moment the present haphazard meth
obs Of distribution against the calcu-
lated perfection Of our production de-
partments and any one can see that
vast improvement is possible
Distribution is still thinking in
terms of dollars, whereas production
thinks in terms Of time Dollars in
modern factories have given place to
minutes. Factory managers no longer
say they have been able to save a
dollar on a given operation-they now
report they have been able to cut the
standard time by so many minutes or
fractions thereof.
MY prediction is that distribution
and its great ally - service - will de-
ternine who is 10 survive and prosper"
BUYER Sophisticated.
In a similar vein, Alfred P. Sloan, jr..
said. The typical new car customer is
buying not his first car, but his third
or fourth car. He is becoming more
sophisticated, and word-of-mouth ad
vertising. based on first hand expert
ence. overshadows the sales solicitation
and the power of the printed word.
"A maximum realization Of this OPP
portunity can be attained only through
. proper recognition Of the Importance
of service. To whatever degree the
product of manufacturer attains wide
distribution, TO that degree service be-
comes important"
Service. as it is now practiced, is no
longer left to the discretion of the
dealer. Progress has replaced hand
work with machines in the average
service station. Factory methods have
been applied both to operation, cost and
inspection.
Certain plants are carrying the idea
still further. They are canvassing
owners at one-month intervals with the
aim Of keeping them satisfied and cul-
tivsting close acquaintance against the
day when It will be time to buy another
car In certain cities service on A con-
tinuous plan is being tried. This util-
ICES a chain system of turning out pro-
duction JOBS; the cars as they are
brought in are put through inspection
on the same principle as an assembly
line. One required operation is made to
follow another in systematizing repairs.
Copyright, 1890 By North American News
paper Alliance