Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-25
GREAT DIFFERENCE
SEEN IN SHOWS
Early Visits Were Mere Sight
seeing Trips, Industrial
ist States.
BY ALVAN MACAULEY,

AS 1 look back on my first automo-
bile show 1 can see great difference
In the spirit of these big exhibitions
institutions The change is relatively
as great as that which has occurred
during the same span of time in the in
dustry itself.
A walk through the aisles OF one OF
the shows CT Is or 20 years ago was
sightseeing trip. Motor cars were sc
new then that people were moved by
curiosity to attend the big exhibitions
They studied the various accomplish
ments OF the engineers and many times
entered into heated discussions over the
special features or evidences Of radical
designs. New things were widely
heralded by their manufacturers and
the public was eager to view them,
Urged to Buy Any Kind
In those days the industry urged peo-
pie to buy any kind of an automobile
Each company, of course, suggested as
strongly as possible that its own par
ticular product ought to be purcha sed
but all united III telling every one to
buy some kind of an automobile and re-
place the family carriage horse.
People know automobiles now. Fun
damentally there can be little that is
new in them. The motor car is per-
haps the best known piece CT ma
chinery in the whole world today. Poo
pie are as eager to see cars on display,
but they no longer have to be sold
ON the motor Ger in the abstract.
Every one who goes to the show now
puts his own automobile in competition
with the latest models of the industry,
AS he strolls through the aisleS he
weighs the question of replacing his car
against the appearance OF the various
vehicles he sees in the exhibition and
then balances the new cars enc against
the other. usually with an inherent and
unconscious loyalty to the make of car
he has been driving.
Each of us now asks him to buy car
as we did before, but we insist as
strongly as we can that he buy our car.
Where in previous years we asked a
man to give up his horse and buy any
kind of en- automobile tours preferably,
Of coursel. We now, to an extent urge
him to give up the car he is driving and
buy ours.
Secrets Unknown.
Trade and manufacturing secrets are
almost unknown in the industry Many
an automobile manufacturer has solved
difficult production and engineering
problems with the help of his strongest
competitor. There is a commendable
interchange Of manufacturing and
merchandising data. Practically speak
ing, there is hardly door in any auto
. mobile factory closed to the representa-
tives Of any other company.
This cooperation. coupled with the
keenest possible competition, has &C
complished much for the entire indus
try 1t has also made possible a higher
dollar-for- dollar value in the motor car
than perhaps can be found in any other
manufactured product. These two fac
tors have reached their highest cul-
minaticn in this years automobile
shows, the entire industry having
striven successfully, it will be agreed, to
outoo their finest previous efforts
Every motor car manufacturer, follow
ing the present day spirit of the indus
try, has done his utmost in the sub
normal year We have gone through to
get his share of business and If pos
sible little more from a rather dull
market
This is going to be helpful later The
Industry now can see a great market
ahead. When we are to realize on it no
one, of course, can be sure, but the in
dustry, through its experience acquired
during 1880, has been trained right
down to fighting trim.
Creating Big Market
Automobiles are wearing out faster
than they are now being replaced That
is what is creating this big market
which We can see. The oil companies
tell us more gasoline is being consumed
than ever before. That must mean au-
tomobiles are being run more. People
are fixing up their old cars in efforts TO
stretch their useful life beyond normal
Therefore. since the country's cars
are wearing out-if they are being OPP
Grated as much or more than usual; If
their replacement is below normal
then only two results can follow Either
big market is just ahead of us or the
country is going to give up its motor
cars.
1t Is inconceiyable that the second
can be the true result. The motor car
is too closely interviewer into our daily
life to be surrendered for any other
form Of personal transportation. There
Is no substitute
OF course, l don't know when the
big increase in buying is going to start,
but this / do know-when it docs the
whole country will be affected favor
ably This must be 50 because nearly
every State in the Union furnishes
some kind Of raw materials for the
manufacturing of automobiles; 33 States
furnish finished materials and / out OF
every 10 persons gainfully employed in
the whole United States receives his
employment either directly or indirectly
from the motor car industry
1t is not hard TO believe, because of
Its far-fung influence, that when we
enter this great potential market which
Is ahead Of US, the automobile industry
Will be as heretofore the bellwether To
lead America TO a new prosperity.