Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-08
NEW MODEL SEASON
BEGINS NEXT WEEK
Changes to Be Announced in
Preparation for New
York Show.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
DETROIT, November THE Off
cially recognized new model season of
the automobile industry is scheduled
to begin one week hence. It will start
with a countrywide showing of new
Buick Fights for 1892. This will be
followed by disclosure of the Rockne
six, brand-new product, that is to
be built here.
Following these will come either ad-
vance showings or revelation of changes
that numerous manufacturers will make
in preparation for the national show
in New York on January 9.
Precedent Set.
BY concentrating new showings into
one period preceding the new year, the
makers are setting a precedent that
they hope will stand for the future.
Thereby, although the compact Is I'M
written, they hope to create peak
of public interest that will stimulate
production during the Winter, when
the plants need it most.
In doing so they will follow the
seasonal example of other industries,
like furniture and the clothing trade,
which for years have found such pro-
cedure beneficial.
The new Bucks, 1t has been init
mated, are to embody a car-control
device that will mark a new departure
for General Motors. The factory is
in production on the new stuff and
shipments to key points on the map
have been under way for several weeks.
The initial heralding to the Buick field
organization has been modernized. 1t
has been visualized and vocalized in
talking films that are to be exhibited
before dealers and statesmen in 81 cities
before the public sees the 1882 cars.
AS for the Rockne six. its name alone
has been divulged by George M.
Graham, its advance sponsor. who has
been engaged for months in organizing
its distribution throughout the coun-
try. The name Rockne and its men,
cries naturally are associated with
South Bend, Ind. but, according to Mr..
Graham, the new car will come from a
Detroit factory, which has no connec-
ton with the three Graham brothers.
Mr.. Grahams plan Is to tell everything,
including specifications, and the date
production Is to begin, on or before No
vember 20. He has let it be known that
the new six Is to be competitor In the
low-priced field and that 1t is to be re-
plete with new operation features. In
Guiding a new form of cushioned power.
The Rockne, those close to Mr..
show entry, in which case 1t must come
from an already established manufac-
turer. The national show rules forbid
the exhibition Of models from factories
that have not been in business for at
least IL months.
TranSmiSsionS and new forms Of driv-
ing control are going to center atten-
ton in New York and at the other big
automobile shows of 1882. Free Wheel
ing and synchro-mesh transmissionS
already are familiar in various forms.
Further Elaboration.
The indications are that they are
to undergo further elaboration and re-
f1nement for next years use. With
them are to come still more silent
seconds" to be produced by substitution
OF either helical or herring bone gears
In place Of the conventional straight
toothed kind.
Interest in improved tranSmiSsions
that give quiet operation with new
SmoothneSS is sweeping America and
Europe as well.
Reports from this years Salon de
L'Automobile in Paris and the Olympia
Show in London speak of the interest
over there and the fact that American
engineers have been combing the field
Tor new ideas adaptable for this coun-
try.
In London, they saw a profusion of
them. Among others, the Armstrong
SlddeSley PERSPECTIVE gear and the
Daimler improvement on 1t, known as
the fluid dywheel," Wed with the free
wheeling and synchro-mesh devices used
In the American models
With these at Olympia there was the
Mayback as used in the German Mer-
cedes-Benz cars. This is a preSelect-
ing mechanism with control from two
levers on the top of the steering col
umn. The gear changing is effected
by means of suction from the engine
operating constant mesh helical gears
selected" by overrunning clutches
and acting on a vacuum servo prin-
ciple.
In Europe, because Of high taxes,
cost OF fuel and other factors that
make the price and maintenance Of q
big car the privilege of the rich, trans
mission development is confined to a
Few luxury models and production on
them Is small. The American OBJ
servers, however, are examining every
thing that offers possibilities of making
go over here with the tag Of Euro
pean prestige attached to it.
So great Is the interest in trans
missions generally that the Society OF
Automotive Engineers, from its head
quarters In New York, has begun ar
engagements for exhaustive studies OF
the entire field.
(Copyright. Iiaai By the North American
Newspaper Alliance. fne)