Evening star., 1932-02-21

While Detroit maintains its suprem-
acy as the hub Of the automobile indus
try the business of building American
motor cars is getting to be q national,
even international, proposition. Already
automobiles bearing the popular trade
marks Of this side of the Atlantic are
being either manufactured or assem-
bled in 80 domestic plants and 81 in
foreign countries.
Doubt it or not, there are more man
ufacturing and assembly plants for
American cars outside Of Detroit than
in the capital Of motordom itself.
tured and assembled are found in the
hub of the motor world, with 20 scat
tered throughout the country.
10 in Detroit Area.
Even including the plants at Lansing,
Flint, Dearborn, Grand Rapids and
Pontiac, which with Detroit total 10,
the outside cities lead with 81 plants.
In addition. throughout the country
there are AZ additional plants where
cars are assembled only.
The automobile itself halls from all
parts Of the country and from all cor
ners of the earth. Excluding the origin
Of the raw materials it is found that
all industrial centers Of the Nation pro-
duce finished parts for the automobile
many Of these being united with their
contemporary units to form completed
automobiles without ever reaching the
major assembly plants in Michigan,
Ohio and Indiana. Atlanta, Buffalo,
Kansas City and st. Louis each have
two assembly plants Buffalo also hav-
ing manufacturing plant.
Building automobiles has become
everybody's business. 1t is estimated
that 4,700, 900 persons are in some way
or other connected with the industry.
There have been some recent restric-
tions in the Nationwide picture, due to
the cessation OF one manufacturing
plant and another assembly plant in
Ohio, and to the changes in manufac-
turing at st. Louis, but 1t is expected
that these will be more than Offset by
the increase in assembly plants now
planned for various cities. Due to tariff
complications the increase In Canadian
manufacturing plants for American cars
will be an important factor before an
other year.
When the average motorist buys a
car he thinks of it as having dropped
off an assembly line at Detroit, or at
least in Michigan. Parts Of the car he
selects may have come from his neigh
bor's local factory and the entire as
sembly may have been done at near
by plant Owing to the fact that some
of the most well established parts max
ers are located in or around Detroit,
however it is improbable that any car
rolls of any American assembly line
without at least some percentage OF its
makeup having the Detroit stamp.
Indiana Ranks Second
More makes Of cars are produced out
side of Michigan than in the world
motor center itself. Indiana is the Sec
ond biggest producer Of makes among
the States. with an output Of six. Ohio
ranks next with a production OF hve
makes Ohio, however, has four assem-
bly, plants in operation as against one
for Indiana. which makes the former
rank second when one is considering the
general picture. There are three car
manufacturing plants in New York
State, three in Wisconsin and one un-
der way in Maryland.
California. Pennsylvania and Massa-
chusetts each produce complete cars. In
addition California has four assembly
plants, Pennsylvania three and Massa-
chusetts one. Georgia and Texas each
have two assembly plants
The assembly plants are widely dis
tributed as indicated by the fact that
there is one each in Colorado, Iowa. H.