Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-19
OUTLOOK IN AUTO
TRADE IS BRIGHTER
Steady Upturn in Sales Is
Expected to Follow An
nuaI Shows.
BY DAVID J. WILKIE,
Associated Press STAFF Writer,

DETROIT, January 19.-The key-log
Of the jam that has damned up the
buying of motor cars has been loosened.
and II leaders of the industry have cor
rectly appraised the immediate outlook,
what has been a mere trickle of neces-
sary new-car purchasing soon will be-
come a steady flow Of replacement buy
ing.
The show season Of the industry, now
in full swing, automobile executives
say. has served to strengthen their con-
viction that the upturn Is not far dis
tant with most people," said one au-
thority of the industry, seeing Is be-
lieving,' and in the case Of large part
Of those who came to look at the in
dustrys newest creations they went
away convinced that current models
represent the greatest dollar value In
the history of motor-car making. This,
of course, finds its immediate reaction
in the desire to possess. The encour-
agement of that desire Is all we need to
get the automobile industry back on the
road to industrial prosperity"
Producers Policy.
Although firm in their belief that
there never can be a complete satura-
ton of the motor-car market, leaders
of the industry agree that its future
depends largely upon their ability to
offer constantly increasing dollar value
This has been shown not only in var1-
Gus minor mechanical advances, but in
the middle-price class in the, steadily
increasing numbers Of eightrcylindeT
models where skies formerly twere Of
fered, and with little or no change in
price. The same is true Of fours that
have become skies.
whether the trend in this direction
will find future expression in making
twelves where only Fights were as
sembled before Is something most auto
motive executives prefer not to predict
The transition of fours TO skies, skies
to Fights and the successful tntroduc-
ton of 16-cylinder stock cars, however
furnishes the background Of no little
speculation as to the power plants OF
the cars to come in the next decade.
One thing all automobile makers are
agreed upon is that there will be nc
new models brought out during the
coming Summer. The last Of the 1881
models, the presentation of which was
spread over the last six months or more
were brought out at the National Au-
tomobile Show in New York. Coinci-
dent with this exhibition came an
nouncement that the National Automo-
bile Chamber of Commerce has decided
to urge all manufacturers to present
their models simultaneously instead of
whenever they choose. Whether all
motor car makers will agree to this
plan is yet to be determined. It is GER
tain, however, that for the ensuing year
there will be no radical changes
New Models Costly.
If fo- no other reason the N. A. C.
c. hopes to be able to persuade manu-
facturers of the logic of the proposal on
the basis Of expense. Probably one OF
the most costly phases Of the business
of making automobiles is the produc-
ton of new models with its re-tooling
requirements.
Any agreement that may be reached
in this respect probably will not include
the Ford Motor Co. The Ford Co. is not
a member of the National Chamber.
Manufacturing activity, sharply cur
tailed during the holiday season by rea-
son Of inventory suspensions, took an
upward squirt during the last few days.
Every automobile plant is working on
at least a part time basis, while some
which delayed the introduction Of new
models until near the year end are
closely approximating full-time sched-
ules. At the Ford plants, recently re-
opened after an inventory shutdown,
a majority of the $4,000 men on the
payroll are working three and four days
a week This has been the rule for the
last three or four months. The Ford
Co.. like all others, however, is ready to
step up employment to a full-time basis
the moment demand seems to warrant
such action.
Competition Is Keen.
Probably nowhere in industry are the
signs of the times" being watched
and analyzed more thoroughly than they
are by motor car manufacturers. So
keen is competition that manufacturers
cannot afford to permit competitors to
get the jump in production, when the
need for increased output is seen.