Evening star., 1936-05-10

New Jersey and Maryland. Real
progress is being made In this direc-
ton.
Immediately the car goes into use
there are many thingc which may
happen which will destroy the results
of the most perfect design and care
full installation. The lamp bracket
may be bent, In many cases unknown
to and unnoticed by the driver. The
bulbs may be deliberately changed to
bulbs of higher candlepower than were
furnished or specified with the original
equipment. The lamps may be delib-
erately bent out Of position by the
owner so that the beam is definitely
raised. The driver may deliberately
refuse to change to the low beam pro-
vided when meeting the oncoming car.
I'VE mention only few of the things
that will change wen-designed and
well-installed non-glare headlight into
headlight with real glare hazard.
The most careful design and installa-
ton cannot change this condition.
I'VE believe that, with the exception
of the relatively small number of cars
equipped with single-beam light, glare
in headlights today is a result of acci-
dental or deliberate changes effected
after the car leaves the manufacturer,
or deliberate failure to use the mech
anism provided for the control of the
beams. The headlamp designer can
strive for perfection in design; the
automobile manufacturer can install
those headlamps In perfect align
ment; but neither the designer nor
the manufacturer can control the
maintenance or the unintelligent and
reckless use of those lights after the
car is in the hands of the owner.
That is a problem requiring educa-
ton OF the driver in the proper use
and maintenance Of his lighting
equipment and the enactment and
rigid enforcement of uniform laws
throughout the States regulating the
design. inspection and use of that
equipment"
Production of automobiles and
trucks in the United States and Can
ada is holding steady at its recent
high level. The output for the week
ending Saturday, May 9, is estimated
at 117,7O8, compared with 1855
units for the week ended May 2,
according to the current issue Of Auto
motive Daily News. The output for
May is expected to total 100000, as
against the $4,000 units produced in
April.
With the three volume producers,
as well as various independents, con-
tinuing to manufacture cars at an
almost capacity rate, the trend is still
slightly upward with a gain of 142
units for the present week as against
the seven days ended May 2. None
of the manufacturers has so far
shown signs of hauling in sail to re-
duce their production total by any
appreciable amount.
Chevrolet's output for April
reached $4,000 units and the May
schedule appears to be aimed at ap-
proximately the same figure. Pontiac,
during April, produced 21,046 cars
and the Pontiac May program has
been tentatively set at $1,000 units.
Buick produced 1882 cars in April
and has announced schedule of
18,043 for May. The Buick sched-
ule calls for 5000 units more than had
originally been planned for May pro-
duction. Oldsmobile turned out close
to $4,000 units in April and the same
goal has been set for May.
Independents such as Hudson,
Studebaker, Packard, Nash, REQ,
WHY'S and Graham show little sign
of slackening the pace they have
maintained to date.
In the Chrysler Corp. a similar
tendency to level out production at
its present high point is apparent
among the various divisions. Dodge
in April produced around $4,000 cars
and trucks and Dodge plants are op-
Grating at near capacity to produce
a similar number during May. Chrys-
Ter cars made during April totaled
around $500, while De Soto in the
same period produced more than 4,700.
Both divisions will continue at the
same rate during May, it has been
learned.
On the sales side, with practically
all plants reporting orders in excess
of output, May bids fair to be one of
the star months on the 1885 calendar.
April estimates place sales at about
375,000 units. May output schedules
call for about 100000 units, which
would indicate a registration figure of
somewhere around 425,00O cars and
trucks. A prolonged selling year is
pretty generally expected. June IS
seen, from all reports, as having a good
chance of hitting the sales peak for
the year. The usual seasonal slump
in July will probably be pretty well
out of the picture this year. The SOL
diers' bonus, long heralded as an
especially bright spot in the auto
motive sales Summer will begin to
take effect about July and will carry
over into August. From the used car
angle, the bonus will probably not
have weakened effect, since many of
the sales have already been made with
the payments to come later.
Truck sales for March, complete ex-
cept for Connecticut, are reported at
51,817. The earlier estimate of $4,000
units for the month was not quite
realized, but when returns come in
from the flood-stricken States the
51,8l7 will probably be boosted another
300 to 1000 units for a total for the
month Of around 52,750. With March
sales above normal, April truck regis
trations will probably show less of an
increase than in the passenger di-
vision. However, they are expected,
from reports at the plants and in the
field. to hold good.