Milford chronicle., 1958-09-12
THE SMALL CAR DEMAND


manufacturers will offer small economy cars
to the public. That finding is made by the
editors of u. S. News and World Report
after talking to car owners distributors and
manufacturers both in this country and
abroad.
The reason, of course, is the increasing
appetite American motorists have shown for
European imports which are cheap to buy
and cheap to run. For some years, it would
seem, the u. S. makers pretty much ignored
the trend, perhaps thinking it was a phen-
Omenon of minor moment. And it is true
that the imports constitute even now, but
small fraction of total car sales in this cOun-
try. However, there is some obvious hand
writing on the wall. PercentageWise, sales OF
English and European cars have risen spec
tacularly at time when Detroit sales have
been sagging. And the smallest American
production car made today the Rambler, has
also substantially increased it's sales con-
trary to the general Detroit experience
The u S. News article goes into consid-
cradle detail as to what has been going on
and what is to be expected. The European
small car, it observes, is product OF Euro
pean conditions where taxes are based on
horsepower, gasoline runs as high as 80
cents a gallon, and roads generally are much
inferior to ours. In the early day of Euro
pean imports it was sometimes argued that
the cars were himsy and would never stand
up to hard driving over American distances.
This has been generally disproven. Indeed,
the magazine says that: "Among the experts
in the auto plants in Detroit there is much
favorable comment about some of the low
priced foreign cars" 1t also points out that
Volkswagen once offered gold watches to
owners who'd driven their cars $4,000 miles
without major overhaul. 1t had to discon-
tinue this offer because is was getting stuck
for too many watches.
u. S. News finds that "The car that the
Big Three of the u. S. industry have in mind
is not small car in the European sense.
Distances are longer in this country. High
ways are designed for sustained, high-speed
driving. Gasoline is cheaper" AS a conse-
quence, Detroit apparently envisages a seal
ed-down and simpliied version of existing
models. There will be fewer luxury attach
ments and minimum of trim. Four and six
cylinder engines will be used. Gas mileage
will be better
When will such cars be seen in the show
rooms, and what will they cost. There's no
precise answer-there's even chance that
the u. S. makers will finally decide the ven-
ture isn't worthwhile and call it off. How
ever, the first cars may appear late next year,
carrying an $1800-200 price tag. Much, u. S.
News says, depends on the competitive ele-
ment. The Big Three are watching each
other like hawks, and if one moves the others
will follow fast.
There's another factor involved too. It's
one that is intangible but is of great poten-
tial Importance, and many people think it
has the u S. makers in something of guam
dry. To quote u. S. News again: Prestige
ownership of something different lis a
big factor in American sales of the small
car" Because of that no one can be sure if
the American public would strongly well
come a small American economy car-or
would keep right on buying the foreign jobs
We may learn the answer in the next year
or two.