Evening star., 1962-09-24
British Planning
Another Invasion
BY CHARLES YARBRoUeH

British sports car enthusiasts
the first contingent of such
magnitude to visit these shores
since World War II, will be in
Washington October 1918 on
a 2,300-mile tour Of the East
and Midwest.
Most of them will pick up
their cars in New York under
a special rental plan worked
out with the British AutOmO-
bile Manufacturers Association,
joint sponsors Of the event
with the British Automobile
Racing Club in London.
The visit is timed to help
commemorate the Clubs Gold
en- Jubilee.
The group arrives in New
York October S; sets out for
Watkins Glen, N. Y, to watch
the United States Grand Prix.
The tour will take in such
points as the Great Smokes,
Williamsburg, Washington and
Philadelphia.
We may complain about "a
cent gasoline, but they're 60
ing to love 1t. They've been
paying about So cents for an
Imperial gallon.
= 80
They're pulling out all the
superlatives for the 44th Ma
tiOnal Automobile Show, sched-
uled for Detroit's new Cobo Hall
October 20-2S.
The musical extravaganza
alone, the predictions say, will
play to more persons during its
nine-day run than the most
popular Broadway production
does in six months.
Live television viii go out
over NBC's To-day" show from
7 to Q am, October 18, 10 and
% and the Gray Line sightsee-
ing tour service is even extend
ing its regular season of sight
seeing tours in the Detroit area
to include the show period.
Big emphasis during the big
preview Pontiac held last week
at the Shoreharn was on the
big car image"
Styling illusion - all Of it
good - make the new models
appear longer, lower and
wider. although actual dim
ensions are almost unchanged.
The Tempest, which will offer
a new cast-iron va Of ESQ
horsepower. is five inches
longer and two inches wider.
Biggest standard engine
available in the regular
Pontiac will be $40 horsepower
up from the 1862 top Of 348.
The top Of the line Grand
Prix, pictured in last Fridays
Star, was introduced last
year; sold $4,000 and joins the
General Motors stable Of per
sonal" cars to match the Buick
Riviera and Olds Starfire.
1t takes three looks at the
profile to be sure it isn't a
Lincoln Continental.
=
Britain's ROOtes Motors is
introducing two new Hillman
Mink models. o sports-styled
Super Mink convertible and a
Super Mink four-door estate
car, both with 66.2 horsepower,
three-point fabrication and
wrap-a around windshields.
Prices are quoted at $2,449 for
the convertible; $2,339 for the
estate car.
= y
American Motors Roy Aber-
nethy is challenging what he
calls automobile market trend
fiction" asserting that claims
of a trend back to larger and
more expensive cars "are be-
lied by the facts.
Despite many published
suggestions that the old size
luxury horsepower race halted
by the compact car is now be-
ing resumed, the facts show
that the American car-buyer
has not lost his mind"
The Rambler Classic and
Ambassador, for instance, will
be IL inches shorter than it
was in 1862.
Mr.. Abernethy predicts q
compact-car sales of three mil
lion for 1868.
American, by virtue of being
there first with the U. S.-built
compact, defines the word as
"any conventional car measur-
ing between ITO and 200