Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-30
CHANGES IN AUTO
BUILDING STUDIED
But Many Builders Will Not
Bring Out New Models
Until 1882.
BY DAVID J. WILKIE,
Associated Press Staff Writer.

DETROIT, January 30.-Although
leaders of the automobile industry are
concerning themselves chiefly about
sales prospects of the immediate future,
the characteristics of the motor car of
1882 and beyond are being worked out
in the laboratories of the automotive
plants just as though there never had
been a business depression. Moreover,
while all manufacturers have effected
production economies, reducing over
head, eliminating waste and in many
cases extending salvage operations, they
have placed little If any restriction on
the all-important research work.
In a sense, this reflects the conf
dence with which automobile executives
look to the future of the industry, but
the policy is not necessarily new; the
induStry's leaders long ago agreed that
the future of the automobile depended
in the main upon the ability of auto
motive engineers to produce constantly
improved motor cars. The history of
the industry shows that each year has
brought its improvements. Those best
qualified to know unhesitatingly say
that yearly improvements will continue
as long as motor cars are made.
No Midsummer Models.
Many of the features of the 1882 au-
tomobile undoubtedly already have been
determined, but, contrary to the usual
practice of the industry, they will not
be available much before the first of
next year. AT the suggestion of the
National Automobile Chamber of Com
merce most Of its members have de-
cided to bring out no new models in
Midsummer. Buick is among the first
companies to make a definite announce
ment that its present line will not be
replaced during the Summer. Several
other companies which brought out
their new models toward the end of
last year have not considered similar
announcements necessary.
Although the achievements of auto
motive engineers generally are kept Sc
cret until they are ready for incorpora-
ton in new models, indications are that
much of their effort now Is being di-
rected toward fuel improvement and
other developments directly affecting
the operation of the motor. One Of the
big obstacles to further development
admittedly has to do with the processes
of refining gasoline and Gil.
1t was Improvement in the quality of
fuel that made the high compression
motor possible. The compression ratio
still is limited, however, and it is to
further lift this limitation that the per-
feet fuel is being sought by automotive
engineers. The popular theory that
engine knock was due entirely to pre-
mature ignition was disproved long ago.
Engineers have held it to be separate
phenomenon" due entirely to the char
acter of the fuel
Old Equipment Strapped.
The seemingly paradoxicaI statement
that the development Of the automobile
industry can be measured by the size of
its machinery junk heap is ventured by
one leading production engineer. He
explained the statement by saying that
the ability of the American automobile
builder to undersell the world was due
to his willingness to throw out of his
plant any piece CT equipment, no matter
how costly, whenever better one can
be obtained.
Plant toolipg has been another phase
of the industry where economy has not
restricted development during the lean
year of 1880. Introduction of new
models meant new machinery in every
instance. Comparatively little of the
machinery of today's automobile plant
wears out; it is scrapped long before it
reaches that point. So it is that mil
lions of dollars are written off the
books of automobile manufacturing
companies each year for machinery
obsolescence.
Current manufacturing activity con-
tinues to reflect the optimism felt by
most of the automobile industry's lead
ers. All plants are in production on
at least a part-time basis, and sales
managers are depending heavily upon
the replacement demand they say must
come soon. Some of the sales eXecu-
tives profess to see in the replacement
requirements alone volume of business
that will exceed the total output of
$780, Coupling this with the new
owner demand and bstter export de-
mand, original production estimates for
the current year have been revised up
ward and placed at 100000 units.