Evening star., 1934-01-28
ENGINEERS FORCED
IODELAY PROGRESS
Could Have Created Present
Cars Years Before, Firm
;.
Official Asserts.

Notoslsts themselves are the limit
lns factor In the development Of auto
motive design, In the opinion Of H. J.
Klinsler, president, Pontiac Motor Co.
True, We have come q long way, but
the evolution Of the automobile has
REQUIRED more than quarter of cen
t,,ry, with engineering and inventive
senius always restrained by the con-
Servative buying habits Of the motoring
public" he says. IT am convinced that
fhe elements Of speed, safety. comfort
and beauty found In the automoolles
for 1884 could have been achieved con-
eiderably sooner If the public had been
more ready to accept the changes IN
design which made them possible.
3s"Proeress doubtless would have been
stall more gradual had it not been for
the educational efforts OF progressive
manufacturers who sold the public on
the advantages offered by automotiVe
Developments Four-wheel brakes pre-
sent an Illustration. Today they are
commonplace, accepted ana expeS.eu,
A two-Wheel brake car wouldn't have
a chance among the automobiles OF
1884. But less than q decade ago, .
deet Of cars equipped with four-wheei
brakes left our factory and scattered
car was . demonstration driver and .
news writer.
.,"Their mission was to convince the
uAople Of the United States that four
Vheel brakes would stop car more
safely than two-Wheel brakes and with
out ieopardizing the lives and happi-
ness of the passengers. These men
did a good Job. enlisting the aid OF
dre Departments to dampen pavenents
and then demonstrating before huge
crowds the sure control OF four-Wheel
brakes In contrast to the skidding that
developed with the then conventional
type Of two-wheel brakes.
Developments most apparent to the
eve encounter the most resistance. For
years automobile companies have spent
much time and effort perfecting new
and attractive color combinations Tor
ear bodies. Prospective buyers admire
these gay cars on the show room floors,
and then what do they buy? A ma
tority Of them buy good old black.
"Our company almost might be said
to have put one over on the public q
few years ago when 1t quietly adopted
q type OF radiator, entirely different
In principle from the conventional
down-flow radiator. It is called the
cross-flow type.
within few years we will see car
speeds materially increased. Today we
think no more of 80 to 10 mile speeds
than we thought Of 30 to 40 miles per
hour q few years ago. And few years
hence We will travel comfortably and
safely ON super highways at much
greater speeds than at present.
An exception to the usual public
conservatism in regard to changes in
design Is found In the immediate public
acceptance accorded knee action
wheels, the most outstanding automo-
tive development since the advent Of
four-wheel brakes Several factors
probably combined to assure instant
approval One was the broad educa-
tional campaign conducted prior to
announcement of the new cars. An
other was the fact that several large
manufacturers simultaneously gave the
weight of their prestige to this change
IN design. And most important Of all
Is the fact that no person can drive or
1ide In . car equipped with knee ac-
ton wheels without appreciating that
the automobile industry has entered an
entirely new era Of motoring security
and comfort.