Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-04
SECRETS OF NEW CAR MODELS
PROTECTED BY DAME RUMOR
Waggine Tongues Held Effective Weapon
Against Pre-release of Facts About
Changes of Models.

How does Detroit succeed in pre-
venting leakage of information regard
ing forthcoming models? What is the
secret Of guarding the secrets that
mean volume sales to the leaders in
the automobile industry?
Millions ponder these questions as
they witness the complete confusion of
many insiders and the inaccuracy of
even the most authoritative prophecies.
New models invariably are a surprise
even to many connected with the or
CARNATIONS sponsoring them. The pub
lie always is treated to something
wholly unexpected. What's the answer?
Dame Rumor.
Whispering Effective.
whispering guards the motor worlds
secrets as nothing else could. Once
Dame Rumor gets into action any
forthcoming model is scheduled for
almost any change from a doubling in
cylinders to halving in price. The
faster her tongue wags the more
confused the situation becomes. Shrewd
manufacturers have learned that rumor
can be their most effective weapon
against prereleaSe of information that
might be useful to competitors.
The seemingly uncanny ability Of
some students of automobiles to pre-
ulCJ CIldIlkSS OH lIlOuClo
is merely the capacity for turning
deaf ear to the wagging tongues OF
those who profess to have the inside
dope" but who merely are passing
along hearsay Through a careful
analysis of conditions surrounding any
make of car and it's respective factory
it is possible to come fairly close to
an accurate prophecy. A logician is
the logical person to consult when try
To-, % li1-{V INo Of
favorite make, but you'll doubtless pre-
fer a dance with the old Dame, who
has a way of putting new thrills into
her Cabling.
1t is we'll within the power Of any
intelligent motorist to predict with a
fair degree of accuracy Just what the
maker of his favorite car is likely to
do by way Of a new offering. OF pri-
mary importance are the current sales
and production figures. These are pub
liShed by some manufacturers and are
indirectly obtainable in other cases
through registration figures. Suppose,
for sake of argument. that sales have
been slipping of steadily for certain
make, although production has not
been in excess of sales.
Delay Unlikely.
It Is reasonable to assume that If a
DtW Car II SCIlCOulCo 1OI IIlS
it is not likely to be long delayed There
would be every advantage in the COM
pany offering something new just as
soon as the factory can get fooled up
for the occasion. If you know what
company makes bodies for this particu-
lar car, and the body makers produc-
ton is on the jump, the conclusion is
unacceptable that the new car Is soon to
make its appearance.
h. -
run considerably ahead of sales, if
cars on hand, If allowances are gener-
Gus and competitors are doing no bet
ter, there are good reasons to believe
that the new model will not appear
until present stock is we'll cleaned up.
Here, however. the company's previous
customs are effective guides. One COM
pany that invariably carries over fair
ly large inventory of cars brought out
its new model as per schedule this past
Summer. A motor car factory is more
apt to follow its custom than to devia-
ate radically, especially If the same
executives are at the helm.
Most motorists who try to put their
ear to the ground fail to appreciate the
physical limitations In the process of
launching new model. If the factory
shuts down for inventory or a two
Wcekb V6CdClOu lame Run1Or whispers
that q new model is due any day, and
millions are ready to believe. The
careful analySist recalls that 1t Is not
unusual for companies to work several
years ahead on a new model, Even
after the model is decided upon a con-
siderable amount of time IS required to
tool up the factory for production.
One company that will not launch its
new models until around show time or
dered special gear-grinding machines
from an Eastern aviation factory as
early as July. The moment it became
known that the aviation interests were
producing such special machinery there
were many persons, even in the auto
mobile business, to maintain that the
carmAker would offer the new model
the next month. In other words. the
new car was to be unveiled even before
the machinery for making 1t was com
pleted.
In April an automobile man expressed
the opinion that his company would not
otter new model before AUTOMOBILES
show time. Asked why he had reached
this conclusion, he explained that in a