Detroit evening times., 1945-09-07

D
! Spondent. who continues his IN
speefien of DeFoit.J
By BOB CoNSIDINE
"Granddad hates war. as you
know" young Henry Ford II.
the new boss around the huge
motor empire, told us as he
tipped back in his swivel chair.
HE was glad to see Willow
Run finish Its Job OF making
B-24s. He Is through with VIII
low Run now and he's happy
about It. He wants to see us
and the rest Of the industry get
back on the old job"
So said the young Yale man who
now sits in the office where his
late father. EdSel, handled the
reins. So says most Of Detroit
Detroit did an Incompatible job
Of supplying American fighting
men and their Allies with the tools
of victory. Now each hour of its
day j. devoted 10 the enormous
task Of chaneing-over. the prob
-tem Of seeing how many Of its
$50. 900 war workers II can put
10 work building cars, trucks and
accessories.
DETROIT LEADS WORLD
THE war taught us very little
we didn't already know about
building cars" GM spokesman
said. 'It was the other way
around: Detroit showed the
world how to turn out war sup
plies a. they've never been
turned out before"
Talk 10 any automobile man
here and he'll tell you that the
speed and success OF Detrolt's
reconversion depend on three
factors:
1-Lahor's full cooperation,
"a quick and reasonable"
decision by OPA on postwar car
prices.
3 Speedy removal from plants
Of war tools. nor needed by car
and truck manufacturers.
EYE COMPETITION
The manufacturers are keeping
one eye on the competition, as OF
old-to see that the competition
doesn't come out with A new
shape or engineering improve
ment which would reVolutionlze
the industry.
Detroit fears a series OF test
strikes this coming winter and
spring, when production is Sched-
uled 10 reach l94l levels and 60
beyond The manufacturers also
worry over the Reconstruction
Finance Corps delays in getting
us old gear out Of the way.
One think they don't worry
about is John O. Publit's appetite
for a new car.
AVERAGE CAR BUYER
The public will buy the ls46
models as fast N the companies
can turn them out" said eX-Maj,
Walter O. Briggs Jr.. whose
father makes Chrysler, Packard
and other bodies. "The average
car buyer il a conservative. He
wants style and changes but eN-
perienoe shows that he wants
these 10 he evolutionary, not
revolutionary. Look what hap
pened when the first stream
lined and frOnt-drive ears we're
placed on an otherwise cOnven-
ti0nal market. The public
wouldn't buy them"
In the midst OF its reconversion
Detroit also is wondering
If the war, and the war-enforced
use of old cars, changed American
car drivers.
That's AN impoBderable. but
one of the most critical parts Of
recOnveTslon," j. r. Davis, top
executive in Ford sales, dis
closed During the war people
had TO get along with any kind
of car. with patchwork tires
anu NoTh-out paris
CHANGE EVERY 81 MONTHS
Before Pearl Harbor the ave-
arge American mOtorist turned
in his old car on q new model /
every - months.
But during the war men and
women discovered that the auto
mobile IN a tough old mechan-
ism, willing 10 keep rolling for
thousands uf miles beyond the
point where most people used 10
drive cars. People learned to
take better care of their cars
during the war, for they knew
il was impossible TO get a fresh
one"
More urgent concern Of Detroit
is 1915 September will be slow,
unemployment viii rise during
The month. BY October all but
one or two companies will be
making some cars. November
viii see the pace quickened, De-
ccmber Will bring additional pace,
and SO on until April--when De-
trolt hopes and prayS Gas do its
lohlcSs Workingmen) that Detroit .
Will be Detroit again /
CTonorTow: Cars Of the fu-