Evening Star Newspaper, February 22, 1925, Page 50

Lower Closed Car Prices Bring Real Problem for Auto Makers Will Public Pay Same for Open Model or Must These Go Out of Business I's Ques- tion Which Only Time Can Answer. BY WILLIAM ULLMAY closed cars selling for the as open cars on the price 2 number of automobile nufacture the industry is pre- nted with a new and interesting closed car is preferable to an many are ing, then why not ng more than an should b open car It is believed that this feature af the subject of prices has something to do with the reluctance of many other manufacturers to follow th leader in d car price reductions, as had been anticipated. Closed cars of many makes are still selling for more than their respective open models, and there seems to be some for a continuance of this v difference. Doubt on Outcome. problem is w that clear understanding in the to what the out- come will be. Some believe that the situation will adjust 1 Others ¥ that within a very months the public will have settled the whole matter for the industry, and settled it fnamn pected way. 1t h stated, for instance, that by next Fall there will be just as wide a difference between open and closed car prices as there was a year ago, with the exception of the sport roadster type of car, which may be more costly than closed cars mounted on the same chassi The prediction refers specifically to touring cars, or phaetons, and practi- cal types of closed models, such as business sedans, coaches and other such models tha re built on a quantity b The fact that the public demanded closed cars and was willing to pay more for them for several rs before the present low prices reveals a decided preference or the closed type. The question now is whether the public will be willing to pay the price of a closed car in order to have an open one. clo: argumen custon The who! tndustry itself Question of Demand. According to one auto opinion the quest self down to a point whe who buy open cars wi out of a clearl that type, and accc as much, perhaps more, would for a closed car ever, presupposes a demand for tour- ing cars from a eporting element, but the chances are that any such demand preference for open will be centered on tho & roadster. Will farmers, Summer to the many people who now ing cars because they think cars are casier to take care .c oclosed jobs be willing for open cars as for cl « gradually dawning upon thous of motorists that the popular type closed cars are even better suited to meneral uses than the touring car, but this, like any other public discovery, is generally viewed as a long-time proposition. And wi touring car prices in the meantime Keeping Up Productfon. Will the “open-air”’ advocates favor makes that have a lower list price for open models? And with the open car gradually becoming a luxury car, will the manufacturers be able to keep production of such models to a point where they can be sold for less than closed cars? The situation is going to be further complicated by the growing belief on the part of those motorists who do not analyze the situation clearly, that if closed cars are selling for the same as open cars the latter must be overpriced. That this is not true, however. will not make it any easier for the automotive industry. When the public gets a mnotion it usually isn't willing to nge about over- night Ever since closed cars first came fnto existence the industry has been telling the public that it costs more to build this type of car than the open variety. And, as a matter of fact, the per car cost is still higher. But quantity production of closed has revised the result le ma 1 narrow it- e people so only ts and buy tour- these Where manufacturers are selling their closed cars at the same prices as their open models, it is because in- creased production and sale of the former has made this possible. If open cars continue to sell for the same price as closed cars, it will not mean that the former are over-priced, but that they do not have the benefit of greater production and wider dis- tribution. At present there is considerable mis- understanding regarding the sale of open and closed models for the same price. Many motorists consider the luxurious closed car and contend that it can never sell at the price of & con- ventional touring car, thus missing the point entirely. They should bo ré- minded that regardless of price trends and production methods there will al- ways be cars of both open and closed types that will sell for higher prices than their conventional models, even though mounted on the same chassis. This point is demonstrated already by a number of makes. Anything extra in the way of up- holstery, painting, seating capacity and equipment will, of necessity, bring a higher price. There are, and probably always will be, two grades of closed cars, just as there are conventional open cars and de luxe open cars. The sport roadster is one of the best examples of this. This type of car may very easily develop to a point where it will sell for more than con- ventional closed cars, even for more than any open cars have ever sold for in_the past. Demand is expected to answer the price question before very long. Next Fall is anticipated as the period when time will tell, because the usual season- able demand for open cars Is expected to keep the public buying this tvps of automobile regardless of price at least throughout the Spring snd Summer. After that it may be a different story. The industry is keeping in mind the fact that in popularizing the closed car and in bringing it within the means of the gverage buyer the market for the open car is being weakened. Fewer people will want open cars, and those who do will want exclusive models and be willing to pay for them. The con- ventional open car, therefore, in becom- ing a less popular model, may become a drug on the market. At least it may not be in sufficient demand to enable the factories to pass along to the public the advantages of quantity production on this type. Meanwhile the motorist is being led to belleve that an open car is undesir- able. He will think that open cars should be sold for less than popular- priced closed cars, which will be an im- possibility if closed cars make up the bulk of factory production. An optimistic opinion on the subject is that by the time all these factors be- come acute the average motorist will have reached a point where he will want two cars, and one of thess will be an open one for fair weather use. Whether this car would be the roadster or the conventional touring, however, is not predicted Apparently the open car isn’t a closed book as yet. The open car problem may open up an entirely new field in modern motoring. (Copyright, 1925.) — STORAGE NO PROTECTION. 1t you have put your car “up for the Winter” and are missing all the use a car can give when you need transportation most, do not make the mistake of failing to care for it right along even if it is in storage. Storage alone will not prevent rust. It will not pump air in the tires that become deflated. It will not keep the springs well olled. It will not protect the finish on the body, which goes dry just as easily under cover of canvas as out in the open. USE OF CHOKER AT FAULT. That thumping noise that sounds so much like a loose main bearing when starting the engine is usually the re- sult of ono cylinder failing to co- operate, due to fouling of a spark plug with raw gas. If this happens regularly vou probably used the choker too much in startin And to think that for only $1075 you can buy this six- cylinder Oldsmobile Coach with a Fisher body—Duco finish—powerful L-Head engine — Balloon tires— Delco electrical system— Y 7, “CHEAP” REPAIRS COSTLY Wisdom of Having Work Done Properly Is Pointed Out. Relining brakes is no exception to the rule that a motorist gets in value of repalrs just about what he pays for. By the use of split rivets in the attaching of the linings to the bands it {s possible to cut the cost by cut- ting the time element, but such re- lining is unsatisfactory as compared with the usual way, and the motorist usually finds that it is better to have the job done right in the first place. In the relining of brakes it is of particular importance to see that the bands are concentric with the drums, otherwise the linings will wear un- evenly and the efficlency of the brakes will be reduced accordingly. This is often tedlous work. When the mechanio is rushed he is forced to do work that is proportionally cheaper In every way. Incidentally, it is cheaper to have the brakes relined than to wear the linings down to a point where the bands have to be replaced as well. Cheaper, too, because it is safer. —_—— PICK-UP IN SECOND. 't try to get your “plck-up” m since the gears are likely to “stick.” This will necessitate slow- ing down. Shift into “second” just 2s 500N a8 the car has been s6t in mo- tion. Step on the gas when you'rs in “second” if you want to get ahead of the rest. REMOVING SIDE TIRE. A straight side tire can be removed from a rim with much less exertion if the motorist will first loosen the bead of the tire thoroughly before unlocking the rim. If the bead is allowed to stick to the rim much dif- ficulty will be encountered. " The V-63 Cadillac Coach 2.7 Y THE OLD T have to smile at the way some of these peopls round here are neg- lectin’ thelr cars just because they are figurin’ Springtime repairs. Henry Blank always has his oil changed every 500 miles regularly, but he hasn't been here for a couple of months. I told 'tm it wasn't doin’ the engine any good, and what do y' think he sald? Informed me he didn't Bce any economy in changing the oil when he was goln’ to have the bearin’s looked over next week. There's & lot of this sort of busi- ness goin’ on. Owners don’t seem to realize that their cars suffer enough from neglect without lettin’ down on the simple rules of care just at the time when the car gets its hardest use. I can't even sell a spark plug be- cause of these infernal notions re. gardin’ the necessity for rippin’ a car to pleces in the Spring. But I'il wager I could point out to you three cars that wouldn’t have to be brought in here later if the owners would install new plugs now and let me spend a few minutes on their car- buretors. For years I've wondered where all USE EMERGENCY BRAKE. It the gears are to be used to hold the car when parking, always set the emergency brake, too. When the gears are left in second or reverss, the driver frequently forgets to shift to neutral before cranking. This may mean a forward lurch when the starter is used, with unpleasant pos- sibilities. If the emergency brake is set, the starter will not be able to move the car. In releasing the emer- gency the driver is much more likely to shift to neutral. Surpassing in SIZE, BEAUTY, COMFORT and EQUIPMENT All Previous COACH Standards Until you see the new Cadillac Coach, you cannot know how truly fine a car of this type can be—nor what a real manu- facturing achievement it is that it can be sold at the same price as the Touring Car. It is value typically and exclusively Cadillac. MECHANIC SAY STUDY ENGINE STALLS. Motorists Urged to Profit by Mis- takes of Others. Some day when you have a little time on your hands that you would like to invest in a littie more knowl- edge of gasoline engines stand around on a cold morning and watch other motorists crank thelr engines. Note how many engines stall and observe the part misuse of the choker plays in_this Some make the mistake of pushing the choker in the instant the engine starts, while others keep it all the way out and get no better results In the first case the engine starvi for fuel, while in the latter it chokes. Practice alone will tell you just how to handle the choker after the engine first fire: the Spring repair work comes from A lot of the cars that are brought in here every March and April don't do much work in the Winter, vet sometimes I have more work to do on the ones that are used less. It's always puzzled me, but now I'm be- ginnin’ to see daylight. The repair work is the result of a foolish brand of Springtime neglect Just as soon as the owner hears any one say that Spring is coming he begins to think of the Spring over- haulin’ and immediately starts put- tin® off the things he ought to be doin’ every day. Simple as ABC. That's why so few owners can see it. '"THE WONDERFUL OVERLAND SIX Considering the ar as Part Of Home Teaches Good Lesson Womar’ Longer Stops at Front Door, and She Offers Ideas on Some Proprieties. BY MARIE RUSSELL ULLMAN. Twenty-five years ago all America was ready to take up the refrain, “There's no place like home”; today the majority of people could be singing, “There's no place like the car,” a the country in general would nod approval. Many folks, however, that an even balance between the two produces best results. A home for indoors; a home for outdoors Home all the while! The family still a unit, regardless of whether dad is smoking his pipe while loung- ing in his most overstuffed e chair or burning the gas at the wheel of his niftiest touring sedan! Many have discovered the low cost of living in their cars, but the rank and file of citizens still feel is something temptingly about using the car exten is because the automobile has not as yet been generally recognized as th= outdoor home of the American peo- ple. Naturally, most motorists a long way from applying tried true rules of household economy their home on wheels. ars finding nd Developing the Outdoor Home. With the development of the au tomobile “laundry” and similar schemes that are borrowed from con ventional home life, ths day is mot so far distant when cars and houses will be managed in much the way, and when there will ceas be marked distinction—in manage- ment, that is—between one’s indoor home 1ife and the outdoor variety. The average man buys his car on the same plan that he buys his home. Buying out of income instend of capi he finds that he is able to make marked progress by enjoy- ing ownership of indoor and outdcor homes that would otherwise be a bit beyond his reach But here is where the homa fdea has not been carried to its logical onclusion. When something goe wrong with the house he does not assume that soime one has palmed off a lemon on him. He prompily mons the tinsmith, the plumber, th , or whatever the case call for, and has the trouble done away with. When something happens to the car he either lets it slide or starts looking around for a new one. - Naturally, the low cost of living his car does not quite materialize He still feels he is supporting on home too many. Difterence in Upkeep. Since he cannot escapa the ne sity for kecping the outdoor home there is no time like the present to get at the bottom of the thing and find out what's what, and also what's wrong Something must be wrong when John Blank will be very careful to soe that the grass {5 cut when the Smiths come to visit and yet not care SEDAN De Luxe IS H ERE $1,1 5()-00 F.O.B. Factory Visit Our Showrooms at Silver Spring o] | is puz: hood of th he inv a gosh darn if the grimy with dust w Smiths to ride. Some little tightening up when househod is run on scheduls the other half runs hit or miss. Here's just a little instance: Whe Mrs. Bla reports that the kitche stove falls to meet her demands, doe she run down to a jack-of-all-trade for help? When the spare bedroo eeds whil Viewpoint of Household No half the needs repapering does she call up the same W) party who fixes the doorbell en the meat is tough, does she co It the laundryman about it? Sounds ridiculous, of course. Bu why that no one is game for grin when John Blank himself tak the car to the same party regardles of what's wrong with Ts it n t as ridiculous that he should con sult an expert valve grinder when zled attery trouble over < Run on Home Plan. If the car is to be the the home—successfully has got be run on sensible home linss. Wh any motorist should think that San who i at changing tires shoud know anvthing about brak adjusting will ever remain a puzz to the favored few who have stum bled over the idea that one’s motor 1s no better than one's method of 1f ing.. You wouldn’t ask the butcher technical point connection wit your heating He know meat, not heat It may take time for the averag motorist to discover that thogs wh know tires may not be qualified t tamper with wires. But it's one o the points on the itinerary of suc cessful motoring. He can’'t escaps When a motorist gets Into ¢ habit of knowing b vn homse h begins appl ideas his car. He looks ind the hou and is considerably surprised to d cover that it is striking many respects to the car. that he could Mve i advantage if he learned to treat th with of the respect jshes the house 1t any h guest wo! feet upon the window sill, be a long, long time before he W pay a return engagement elects to stand on part howbver, the world to around in its accustomed way. In th indoor home little Johnny goes to be; in high if discovered marking up tt wall paper: in the outdoor the on Eij age) er half to old similar He 14 put hi use of a fende Before You Buy—See 2 7 » find= the car to bette that 1f a guest spir . STUDEBAKER for your pocketbook’s sake Z Z 7 27 All Latest Models Willys-Knight and Overlands on Display 222 7% Z % ZzZ Z Z Z Z Z 7 Z 7 Z Z nz |§Y it wouldy and exquisite fittings! Z % CADILLAC—COACH OLDSMOBILE kx| *~=*=""="~" DICK MURPHY, Ixno. 3 StURPRY, Pusoionnt DISTRIBUTORS 1835 14th St. Potomac 1000 ENGLAND MOTOR CO. Direct Factory Dealer Rockville, Md. Rockville Phone Rockville 158 Silver Spring, Md. Silver Spring Phone Woodside 6R Stendard of the World Now Cadiliacs May Be Purchased o the Time Payment Plan The Washington Cadillac Company Rudoiph Jose, President 1133-1140 Copnecticut Avenwa