Evening star., 1932-01-03
Opens Next Saturday.

opens Next SatuTudy'
The big national automobile
show is really in sight. The first
act will be put on next Saturday
in New York, when the thirty
second annual show will be re-
yealed in Grand Central Palace,
with nearly 300 cars and chassis,
and a huge display of bodies, &C
cessories, shop equipment eX-
hibits; also commercial vehicles.
The exhibitors on four floors OF
the large exhibition building
promise something exceptional
this season. Automotive engineer
ing experts and those who nave
obtained advance views Of the new
cars at the factories, positively
declare this season will marx an
epoch in motor car construction.
They call attention not only to
the progress made during the last
five years, but in one year. This
will make the display truly inter
esting to the average visitor.
Very few, other than those dl-
rectly engaged in the industry,
are. perhaps, cognizant of wherein
the automobile Of five years ago
differs from that of the present
day. This is due to gradual,
rather than sudden or radical,
changes in design of the chassis,
bodies, equipment and accessories.
Nevertheless, the car of today Is
markedly different, vast i'm
provement in every detail upon
the vintage of 1927. This contrast
would be more emphasized, not
only to the eye, but in values and
in prices if the cars were placed
side by side. Even a casual eX-
animation would disclose numer-
Gus inherent values and provision
for riding comfort and almost
magical ease and quiet and Sc
curity of the various controls, the
new devices for the absorption of
road shocks, silencing OF car
buretors, more beautiful body
lines, intensifying the familiar
suggestion. of winged f1eetneSS,
and the most important develop
ment of the past decade-free-
wheeling.
1t is quite true that many s.
year-old cars are still running, but
thousands of these have reached
their laSt-legs stage or the point
where upkeep cost is too great. A
large percentage of such will be
replaced by the models of 1882.
Five Years Ago. T
Stepping back five years ago,
when there were six makes OF
four-cylinder cars and prominent
makers of skies had not yet en-
tered the eight field, the four
speed and the silent internal
geared transmission was offered
by but one manufacturer. High
second gears were not seen, nor
could speeds of 60 to 10 miles per
hour, or more, be made in second
gear. Speed changes from high
to second were not made easily
and quietly except by the most
expert operators. Neither could
the average car accelerate in a
few seconds to high speed from a
standing start.
Comparing the brake horse
power powers of the car of five
years ago with that of today
further emphasizes contrasts. The
modern skies have from Is to
nearly so per cent more actual
power. Skies Of today have en-
gines comparable in power with
the high-priced eightS of five
years ago. 1t is interesting to
note that three makers of fourS
in those days, and who since have
gone to skies and eightS, offered
cars with from 26 to 35 horse
power, and with a price range of
from $525 to $945. One has sew
eral choices of SKIES today, with
engines of horsepower ranging
from so to 70, with a price range
of from $475 to $685.. Numerous
eights under 81 900 and $500, and
with power plants actually deliv-
ering an average of 81 horse
power, are several hundred dollars
cheaper and superior in every re-
spect. Five years ago wheel
bases began their climb in the
middle and upper price brackets.
Today long wheelbaSeS are the
vogue in the priced fields.
Before Blueprint Stage.