Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-23
MOTOR INDUSTRY
HAS BRIGHT SPOTS
Stocks on Hand of futo Deal
ers Near Lowest Mark
in History.
BY EDWARD w. MORRISON.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
DETROIT, August 22.-Old Man
Sunshine hss been busy in the auto
mobile industry the last few days. He
has been spreading his rays in some of
the corners and then stepping out with
an ABUNDANT supply left.
The brightest piece of news that
could come out of the Detroit factories
would be a statement that employment
ives showing sharp increase. That
remains for the future. Eowever, bits
of Information are being released that
relieve some Of the drab tones of the
industrial picture.
Oakland-P Pontiac, for instance. has
just launched a $4,000 advertising
campaign as a part CT drive for sales
that will be carried into September. w.
A. Blees. vice president. in charge Of
sales, believes there is business to be
obtained, and is going out to find 1t.
New Dealers Added.
Along comes REQ with the word that
during the week ended August IS new
dealers were added In fact. since the
first Of July 278 new members have
been brought into the company.s Ma
tion-wide dealer organization Z. A.
Poison, general sales manager, is au-
tilcrity for the statement that the new
loR-priced REQ speed wagon" and the
new low-priced Flying Cloud have
aroused the interest Of both dealers and
consumers.
Packard, representing the higher
priced field, steps into the sunshine
with the announcement that July ship
ments were the highest since October
OF last year. The total cars shipped
reached / 1896.
De Soto, one Of the Chrysler units
that has been watching its brother. the
Plymouth, setting a smart pace, defends
its records with word that retail de-
liYeries for a recent week were the
highest in De Soto history
MarTnon has passed the information
along that the salon shoWings of its I6-
cylinder cars in the large Cities have
been well attended and that sales have
exceeded expectations in many in
stances.
Dealers Stocks Low.
Then to top the individual reports
ccme the cheerful estimates that stocks
in the hands of dealers are as low. If
rot lower, than at any time in history.
me dealers, as If 10 contribute their
snare to happier days. reveal that cash
sales are becoming more readily evident.
The automobile world generally is
hopeful that business during the Au-
tumn Is going TO be good. Whatever
announcement Ford has to make in the
way OF new car will act as a stimulus
for the rest Of the manufacturers, it is
reasoned.
The American Motorists Association
has Just released figures showing that
the average wholesale cost fer a pas
9engsr automobile In 1880 was S5B9 &c
T. 0. b.. against 1921 rs in 1929 The
1880 price was S10306 less than the
1928 average wholesale price Of SSH. ~
and SlS349 less than the 1927 whoie
SAFE price Of S755s5.
passenger car production in the
United States in 1890 was 2.894 .7l5
units, valued at 81 SIS, 3e8,523. PRODUCE
ton IN 1929 totaled 4,5e7 400 units.
valued at $685., 255,6Is.
Closed Models Gain.
The Motorists Association revealed
also that 90.3 FER cent Of the cars pro-
c3ced for passenger USE last year were
cloS1d flc5eis. Inc increase in tn. per-
ct.at2ge II closed cars 10 recent wears
= shcE'a bg tte following table