Evening star., 1941-09-21
Auto Buyers Concern
Chiefly Over Supply,
Not New-Car Price
Cost of Most 1912 Models
Will Be Increased
10 to IS Per Cent
The Stars Special News Service.

The Stars Special News Service.
DETROIT, Sept. 20-The would
: be buyer of a 1912 model passenger
i automobile, according to authorita-
tive trade sources, is more con-
cerned right now about its avail
ability than he is about the increased
price.
Price listings for all the new mod
els have not yet been announced
but those disclosed or indicated show
increases generally ranging from 10
to Is per cent over the final prices
of comparable 1941 models. The last
prices of the 1911 models, incidental
ly, were higher in several cases than
those announced at the start of the
season.
There is currently no shortage,
the industry's sales executives say.
Orders are accumulating. however,
stimulated to a considerable degree
by the same apprehension that
marked the final half of the 1941
model season. This means, accord
ing to the sales chiefs, that vir-
tually all the $4,000 passenger cars
the industry has been authorized to
assemble between August l and No
vember 80 will be sold before the last
rolls off the assembly lines.
Dealers CIamOr for Cars.
Except for concern regarding car
production beyond the end of the
present calendar year there is little
outwardly about the start Of the
current model period to distinguish
1t from similar periods of the past.
The factories have been slow get
ing under way with new car output
and the dealers generally are clamor-
ing for initial units.
Some retailers who normally sell
large numbers of cars may find
themselves better off respecting fac
tory deliveries than the smaller
dealers. At the same time, their
overhead is considerably greater
than that of the small merchandiser.
Thus, their changes of surviving in
a sharply curtailed production period
are not a great deal better.
This is one of the problems cur
rently occupying the production
heads of the industry, because they
realize that the authorized output
of the next year will be far below
demand. They have adopted no
rules governing allotments to deal
ers thus far. but certain restrictions
on deliveries are regarded as more
than likely within few weeks.
ALLEGATION Plans Offered.
Speculation about the ALLEGATION
of the limited supply of new cars
indicated for the 1912 model period
has brought many suggestions. A
few years ago when the accumula-
ton of used cars threatened the
stability of some merchandising out
lets, several companies adopted a
policy of withholding new car de-
liveries from dealers who failed to
move a specific monthly quota of
secondhand vehicles accepted in
trade. 1t is not impossible now, say
trade sources, that in working out
an ALLEGATION program, dealers with
stocks of good quality, late model,
used cars on hand might be asked
to move them first.
The carmakers admit that putting
such a plan into operation might be
difficult. When new cars are not
available, however the dealer and
his customer will have no alternative
but to try to get together on
used car transaction.
What the actual volume of pas
senger car production will be in
January and subsequent months
still is one of the uncertainties of
the motor industry. From the out
look based on the ALLEGATIONS made
to the various companies at this
time it appears that the smaller
manufacturers will have at least
slight advantage over their larger
competitors.
The general objective is a cur
tailment of so per cent in the out
put of passenger cars. To attain
this, the larger producers agreed to
accept a somewhat deeper cut so
that the output of the smaller man
facturers could be maintained at a
going basis.