Evening star., 1931-12-04
BRISK AUTO SALES
I DRIVE IS PLANNED
-
Various Companies Win Soon
Put New Models on
the Market.
BY DAVID j. WILKIE.


DETROIT, December 4.-If develop
ments Of the past few weeks may be
taken as real signs of the times" the
automobile industry is girding itself for
q period of competition keener than
any it has experienced in recent years
From the high-priced field down to the
,1ower-priced bracket manufacturers
seem to have Wed with each other In
an effort to offer in the new models
how being introduced all the latest de-
Nelopments of the laboratory and at
the same time avoid price increases.
RefinementS undreamed of a few years
ago are being Incorporated into the new
models, and IN addition to giving better
cars for the same or less money, some
manufacturers who heretofore have con-
fined their efforts to the middle-price
brackets are known to be planning
models with which to try for some of
the lower-priced business.
,,ir Studebaker's sponsorship of the re-
Gently announced Rockne six was off,
cially confirmed this week. The car is
to be produced in Detroit by the Rockne
Motors Corporation, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Studebaker The an
nouncement marks the South Bend
company's entry into the low-priced
field.
10 Lower Priced Field.
= The Importance of the lower-priced
field is apparent from the fact that the
several companies comprising it account
for close to rs per cent of the annual
business done by the motor car industry.
In previous years keen competition
meant price cutting, but, aside from
b few instances of slight downward
revisions on SINE models and possibly
a slight upward tendency on some of
the medium and high priced cars no
drastic reduction in costs is expected
to mark the competition expected to
develop shortly after the first of next
month, when all the contemplated new
models have made their appearance.
~ Introduction of the new Ford car is
being awaited with considerable inter-
est, built up in no small degree by the
numerous rumors that have been cir
Culated during the last few months
Concerning the possible changes to be
snade. In some automotive quarters
there has been a disposition to believe
the Ford interests have withheld pro-
,duction of the new model until such
time as all other producers in the lew
price field have displayed the features
with which they plan to bid for 1882
business.
One of the leading competitors with
Ford for the low-priced car business
will formally present its 1882 models
this week end, when Chevrolet brings
cut its new car.
d, With Chevrolet definitely out with
an improved model and planning Wig
orous sales campaign, there is appar-
11t L. ntYt1 fs,yn
,rcircles that the new Ford will not be
much longer delayed. For several
weeks past Ford production has been
mainly from stock parts at q rate suf-
-dcient only To meet demand above
dealers actual stocks. Production Of
the new Ford generally is expected to
start about December Is, with deliv-
cries to dealers around January l.
Dealers Stocks Lower.
,r Dealers stocks throughout the indus
try are reported much lower than at the
same time last year and in almost every
instance the retail organizations are re-
ported ready for the promotion of new
model business. Used car stocks also
are reported in favorable condition.
- New model production has increased
: manufacturing activity to some extent,
but producers generally plan to avoid
ran over-production at this time, in
tending rather to spread the increased
employment over as much of the Win
ter months as possible. While compari-
sons of 1891 with last year, both in pro-
duction and sales, show a marked fall
ing off for the current year in most
months as well as for the probable total
for the year, motor car executives find
little reason for encouragement at the
general showing of the industry. They
point out that while production for 1881
probably will be somewhere around the
100000 mark, the important thing is
that substantially all the cars produced
were sold and that excepting for neces-
sary dealers floor stocks there Fwill be
no carry over into next year of surplus
output.
New Car Sales.
One of the most recent authoritative
estimates of total new car sales for 1881
IS made by r. l.. Polk g. Co. of Detroit
1T shows new car sales for the first 10
months Of the current year of LISA TAB
units and an indicated total for the year
of 100000 units.
New truck sales during the first 10
months of the year totaled 285 PAS
units, indicating an aggregate for the
wear of 316 500 trucks