Evening star., 1950-02-19
Detroit's 1850 Creations Offer
Attractive Package to Public
AS Industry Aims Still Higher
Some Improvements
important in Selves,
Others Are Prophetic
By Frederick G. Russell

INV iSPstStiA
By Frederick c. Russell
While it is generally conceded
that the 1850 automobile has
undergone an obvious process of
face lifting the significant point
about the industry's first contri-
button to the second lap of the
century is the absence of face
saving.
A few concessions may have
been made here and there, but
even the most casual observer of
the motor scene cannot help but
notice that each producer is
directing his energies most vigor-
ously in behalf of some favored
project.
The net result Is a group of
trends which, whether or not they
conflict, certainly do make an at
tractive package. Some of the
actual improvements are i'm
portant in themselves; others are
prophetic. Having achieved the
fabulous production of 6.238,088
units in 1949-establishing an all
time high-Detroit might have
rested on its laurels. This in
dustry knows from experience,
however, that to be satisfied with
it's product means sales stag
nation. 1t is shooting for still
higher goals in 1850, and has the
necessary ammunition.
Some New Dishes.
When asked how he viewed the
latest creation as to styling and
mechanical advancement one ex-
ecutive recently observed that
The 1850 car is like a blonde
who can cook" We'd like to add
that the big beautiful blonde of
gasoline alley is also cooking some
new dishes.
Chrysler's new disc brakes,
Packard's torque converter with
direct drive feature, Chevrolet's
Powerglide, Lincoln's two-second
starting system and Crosley's
Hydradisc brakes are notable on
the menu. not to mention the
hard top convertibles. the big
drive toward higher compression
and the emphasis on models
stripped of frills to bring the
price tag down to a better mesh
with the 1850 pocketbook.
A glance at the individual dishes
should make a helpful supplement-
to actual visual inspection OF the
highlights at the Washington
Show this week, but first a few
observations on trends.
Manual Shift on Way Out.
With the announcement that
the new Kaiser and Frazer cars
will join Lincoln. Nash and three
of the General Motors cars Cad
lilac, Oldsmobile and Pontiac
with Hydra Matte, manual shift
ing seems to be on the way out.
Torque converters are found IN
Bucks Dynaflow. Chevrolet's
Powerglide and Packard's Ultra
matte. The Ford automatic trans
mission is scheduled for introduc-
ton as optional equipment along
about midsummer and the Borg
Warner torque converter is due
even earlier for Studebaker.
Hudson has the Super Matte
which includes an overdrive. and
all of the Chrysler line, excepting
Plymouth, has fluid drive with
Gyro-Matic transmission. In
evaluating the transmission sit
uation, however, it must be re-
membered that many of the lower
priced models will not be equipped
with automatic controls and in
other cases the price, while con-
siderably lower, will be a deter
rent.
1t is not generally realized that
the boost in compression ratio,
which results in power increase, is
being accelerated by increased use
of automatic gearing or full fluid
conversion. The added power takes
care of slippage losses. For the
man who prefers manual shifting
this power increase is even more
noticeable. Power boosts will also
make automatic overdrive more
desirable since it lessons the num-
Der of occasions where hills are
steep enough to require kicking
down to underdrive.
Hard Top Convertibles
But higher compression will go
beyond the present phase of aelp-
ing to make the automatic trans
mission more useful. According to
close observers of the motor
scene, continued increase in oc-
tame rating will make it possible
to boost the power output of 1850
engines later on merely by chang
ing the heads. Many car owners
already are changing heads in ad-
vance of the industry.
In body types there is no doubt
ing the increasing popularity of
the convertible that doesn't con-
vert. These models give safety
which the conventional folding
top job doesn't provide. Obviously
the convertible spree of the past
few years has forced the industry
to make the closed car safer from
4 Continued on Page F-12, Col. H.