Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-15
Auto Makers Cheered
By Sales Prospects
For Coming Year
Eye Appeal and Greater
Buying Power Seen
As Major Factors
By DAVID ], WILKIE,
Press Automotive Editor


motorcar industry produce 4650,000
passenger cars and trucks during the
l94l model year?
At this moment the answer is
largely one of guesswork, but this
writer believes the year ahead is
destined to be the third largest in
production in the history of the
motorcar and that war orders will
not interfere with the normal peace
time activities of the industry.
Further than that, he believes that
1912 model motorcars will be put
into production on schedule at this
time next year.
In the light OF the uncertainty
ahead of all industry the latter state
ment probably is a little more ven-
tllresorne than that regarding the
l941 model output. However, the
men who make motorcars already
have some preliminary work done on
the 1912 model, despite the fact they
are just putting the l941 car on sale.
They are carrying on this pre-
limirary work on a normal basis
and within few months will have
made final decisions on many phases
Of the 1912 models. Every manu-
facturer has pointed out that only
small part of the existing production
equipment can be adapted to any
use other than that of automobile
production.
Most Equipment New.
Most of this equipment is new,
representing an investment of sew
erai hundred millions of dollars and
it must be kept in use if the car
makers are to recover their invest
ment.
Regarding the production POSSIBLE
tiles of the year ahead, several trade
authorities are disposed to be con-
sentative. They point out that new
model output was started fortnight
earlier than last year. that all deal
ers should be stocked by the middle
of December, and that some lag in
demand may develop about that
time.
The sales executives. always en-
thusiastic at the start of a new
model season, disagree with this
view; they assert that if any slack
ening of demand develops it will
not appear until late in February
as was the case this year and that
it then will be of brief duration
Favoring the sales managers
viewpoint are several factors that
incline this writer to agree with
them. 1t definitely can be said that
the 1941 model cars have more
"eye appeal" than any the motor
makers yet have devised; it is also
true that the accumulation of orders
to date is fully up to the sales
divisions expectations and in
creased employment and buying
capacity are regarded as certain in
the months ahead.
Used Car Sales Steady.
The place of the used car market,
perpetual problem of the motorcar
industry, in the outlook for the year
ahead, is not as clearly defined as
many of the sales chiefs would like
to have it. They know that in close
to IS per cent of all the new car
sales made, trade-in is involved.
At the same time used car sales
figures thus far in what may be
called the new model year have
shown satisfactory steadiness.
Most of the car factories have
their normal complement of workers
back on the job and are preparing
to swing into ,0O0-a-week output
schedules as quickly as all initial
production problems have been
ironed out Almost without excep-
ton the factories have stepped up
original output projections for
September, although the customary
difficulties with new model assem-
blies developed in most plants to
slow down production temporarily.
Apparently one of the surest
things in the industry at the mo-
ment is that the production division
will be able to turn out all the cars
the sales division will be able to
handle during the '1941 model year.