Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-25
CAR BODY STYLE
\ SLOW DEVELOPING
Closed Car Production Last
Year SO Per Cent of All
Models Made.

DETROIT, Mich. May 24.-Tt has
taken 10 years to bring Q completes
transformation Of body style to Amer
lean automobiles. The period from 1918
to 1929 spans the change from open to
closed cars and the modern standards
Of weather-proof highway travel.
Fresh statistics, compiled from data
Tor 1929. indicate that closed car pro.
duction for last year was 30 per cent
Of the total for all factories. Going
back to 1919, the percentage of open
cars manufactured In that year was q
fraction less than 90.
The climb has been steady for the
closed cars throughout the decade. II
has averaged about per cent per year.
The big jump from open to closed mo-
10 per cent was recorded over the pre-
ceding year.
Touring Carr DECREASED.
From the 1929 data, it appears also
that touring cars have decreased to only
81 per cent Of the entire factory OUT
put. They have receded to this low
from 81 per cent in 1927
In 1929, for the first time, roadsters
ran ahead Of the touring cars. They
went up to 81 per cent in volume.
Coupe models were recorded as 20.7 per
cent; two-door sedans % per cent and
all other closed types comprised 39.l
Per cent Of the total manufacture.
The life Of the average car IL now
estimated to be SIX and three-quarter
years. Also 1t Is calculated that it re-
guires 2,700,000 new cars to replace
those strapped during 1929. This Is APP
proximately half the factory production
Of normal IL months period.
The average cost Of the operation Of
O hve-paSsenger automobile also has
been computed. It Is found to average
6h cents per mile, or ia cents per
mile per person. The figures are ar
rived at on the basis Of 1900 miles
per year for 300 cars operated In vari-
Gus parts Of the United States.
Based ON 20 Cents.
The calculations have been made on
the basis Of gasoline costing 20 cents q
gallon and include oil, tires, mainte-
nance, depreciation, license, garage at
81 month, interest at per cent and
insurance.
In connection with this, the average
miles per gallon given by various cars
has been ascertained. A four-cylinder
car Of medium weight gives ITS miles
per gallon Of fuel, and medium size
six-cylinder car 1919 miles.
The foregoing may be taken to reveal
improvements In car design since 1925.
In that year, figures compiled by the
same authority, placed the cost Of oper-
ating the average car at 10 cents per
mile.
Statistics also have been assembled
GA woman drivers. It has been found
that women comprise close to IS per
cent of the total, and that they are re-
sponsible for only per cent Of auto
mobile accidents.
Miscellaneous Figures.
OF passing interest are other miscel-
laneous figures from the same source
Automobile manufacturing directly and
indirectly under normal conditions gives
employment to more than $1,000 per-
sons.
The capital invested In car and truck
manufacturing is $1,s56. 687, 661.
Detroit has Is plants In which auto.
mobile manufacture and assembly Is
carried on. Cleveland. Ohio, has 4, In
dianapolis 8. lansing, Mich, s., and
Flint. Mich, Toledo, Ohio. and st.
plants in all distributed In various CEN
tiers Of the country.
The United States has sass auto
monile dealers, as compared with S,402
10 years ago, as Of 1910.
Nfty-seven per cent OF all the cars
operated In America are In towns of
less than 10000 population.
There are 1890. 900 miles Of highway
Ia all countries Of the civilized world.
-fccpyrisht, 1880, By North American News
paper Alliance3