Evening Star Newspaper, January 27, 1929, Page 112

RACING PROSPECTS RATED AS BRIGHT Records Set at Daytona Out- standing A. A. A, Feats of Past Year. BY CAPT. E. V. RICKENBACKER. It we look merely at the ncw records established, the performance of cars, and the number of speedway events, the year 1928 does not stand out as particu- larly unusual in the history of racing. On the whole, however, it gave plenty of reason for optimism. It had every ap- pearance of a period of preparation for a new forrward march in the thrilling story of the “Roaring Road.” ‘The year was highly eventful in two respects. Tragedy bulked large through the course of the 12 months, and five of the best known followers of the speedway finished their last lap. At the same time, several brilliant youngsters stepped forward—fulfiliing our ardent hopes that this breed of steel will carry on. Frank Lockhart, a wiry youth, Wllh‘ the record of a veteran; Dave Lewis, “daddy of 'em all”; Fred Comer, who was the only one killed in action; Nor- man Batten and Earl Devore, victims | of the sinking of the ill-fated Vestris, have “gone West.” But they have left behind the finest traditions of racing. U. S. Regains Speed Title. Probably the outstanding achieve- ment under A. A. A. sanction in 1928 was the bringing back to America of the automobile speed supremacy of the world. A determined onslaught was made on the record established by Maj. H. O. D. Segrave in 1927, when he traversed the sands of Daytona Beach at 203.790 miles per hour. Three aspirants for the world honor came forth during the past year. Capt. Malcolm Campbell of England, Ray Keech and Frank Lock- hart of the United States. The first two were successtul in bottering the record—the latter paying for the at- tempt with his life. 4 Capt. Campbell on February 19 raised the record to 206.956 miles per hour and on April 22, Keech brought it up to0 207.552 miles per hour for the meas- ured mile. In addition to winning world fame, Keech also was favored by the award of the Sir Charles Wakefield trophy for automotive speed supremacy, o be held by him for a period of three vears or until his record is bettered. The award carries with it a honorarium in the sum of about $5,000. Segrave After Yecord. New onslaughts on the record, how- ever, are lh'esdyhmfithf ‘gxak\nge ?;d . Segrave is the firs come = wm:!!d W‘lgt{) the statement that he will seek to establish a new record. The British ace will return to America early in 1929 and is hopeful of attaining a speed of 240 miles per hour. Free-for-all speedway records Te- mained intact during the year. How- ever, five records fell in the 91.5 cubic inch class, the size to which champion- ship events were limited. Ray Keech Taised the average for 100 miles to 131.075 miles per hour at Atlantic City on September 16. Jimmy Gleason made an average of 103.236 miles per hour for 300 miles and 102.009 miles per hour for 350 miles at Indianapolis on Memorial Day, while Anthony Gulotta and Louis Meyer raised the averages for 400 and 500 miles to 100.988 and 90,482 miles per hour, respectively, in the same race. ’ Less Stock Car Activity. The activity in the stock car ficld was confined exclusively to trials and tests and there were no competitive events on the program, with the excep- tion of the 24-hour race ‘between the Stutz Black Hawk and the Hispano- Suiza. The Studebaker Corporation of South Bend led with 74,175 miles of tests, Auburn followed with 2,034 miles and a Whippet four, stock car, was run in one 500-mile trial. This, with the 1,357 miles covered in the Stutz-Hispano match event, makes a grand total of 78,086 miles of record tests. | Speedway racing as a whole suffered | from the small number of events which were run., But four major events on specially constructed tracks were sched- uled, and a series of accidents pre- vented one running its full time. These four races, together with two on major dirt tracks, constituted the champion- ship season. . HIGHER PROSPERITY FORECAST FOR FUTURE| Steady Hands on Nation’s Indus- trial Reins Will Improve Con- ditions, Nash Says. Steady hands on the industrial and financial reins of the country should bring even higher levels of prosperity for the United States in 1929, accord- ing to C. W. Nash, president of Nash Motor Co. ! “In my opinion, there is nothing in the general and economic_conditions of today, nor the outlook for tomorrow, that should make us expect a slowing down in the inspiring industrial march that has made this Nation so funda- mental a leader in the world's work, its progress and happiness; unless it is the shadow of over-confidence and the widespread market speculation which has marked the closing months of 1928, Nash said. “These conditions —the natural results of national success —are controllable, and with proper regulation, should not affect the sound, substantial foundation on which our prosperity is based. “If American business men will oper- ate their various enterprises along sane, economical lines and will continue to build the ever high standards of Ameri- can value that are offered at home and abroad, and if labor continues to recog- nize its vital responsibility in keeping business on an even keel, we are bound to have very satisfactory times in the year to come. Concerning the automobile industry, | RUBBER AIDS SILENCE. France Testing Composition Bear- ings as Metal Substitute. PARIS (#)—Composition rubber as a substitute for metal bearings in auto- mobiles is under test in France. It is used for bearings with small motion as on spring shackles. An ex- hibition car uses the rubber bearings in a score of parts. They are silent. The makers claim that they last indefinitely and reduce the number of parts needing grease to the extent that central greasing from the driver's seat becomes simple and inexpensive WORLD CAR NEEDS - OPEN NEW MARKET | High-Speed Efficiency of U. S. Manufacturers Wins Foreign Trade. People the world over need motor cars. If there ever was any doubt about this, such doubt can no longer exist in the mind of any one who has observed the extent of the development of motor car usage in all countries of the world in the past few years, ac- cording to Howard S. Weich, cxport sales manager of the Studebaker Cor- poration. | It has not been more than six years since the use of automobiles abroad was very restricted—in fact, almost limited to the metropolitan centers and great capitals of the world. The 10 years that have passed since the armi- stice have wrought a great change in motor car usage in countries outside the United States and Canada. Quick to recuperate from the effects of the war, European countries in particular have improved their economic status to such an extent that the buying power per capita has been increased to a point where more necessities can be af- forded, and consequently the market | has expanded rapidly. Auto Ranks as Necessity, When people are in a position to | purchase commodities the automobile is among the first necessities that come in for consideration. This is a rule that was proved in the United States quite a number of years ago, and during the past two or three years has been proved again in most other coun- tries of the world. ‘The American axiom,“Time is money,” is now understood in many countries of the world, and this axiom is nowhere more true than when applied to trans- portation. To ride is to save time, and to save time is to save money. It is not difficult to understand this. American motor car manufacturers have been quick to perceive the wisdom of making their automobiles available in the world markets. This does not mean the mere offering of their cars for sale in these markets, since there is more involved in the intensive distribu- tion of a product than merely quoting it and offering it to importers, g Exporting manufacturers of motor cars were faced with the necessity of laying down their automobiles at cen- tral points abroad where they could be quickly distributed in small lots and sent out into the small communities for display and sale, the same as was here- tofore done in the capitals. This meant carrying stocks of cars abroad at strategic points, frequently in free har- bors, where they could be reshipped in small or large numbers by rail and boat to the surrounding territories. Americans Sent Abroad. In order properly to look after such a kind of distribution it was necessary to send out fair-sized armies of men from the United States, and this per- sonnel was supplemented by other per- sonnel employed locally. Next came the problem of advertising and selling and, finally, and just as important as any- | thing else, the problem of financing the wholesale and retail sale of the cars and parts carried in stock. Inasmuch as banking and other fi- nancing institutions abroad had not de- veloped extensive and workable plans | | of financing automobiles, it was found necessary for finance companies of American capitalization and organiza- tion to extend their operations into the overseas markets. These facilities sup- plied the force to drive home the wedge that finally opened up the big market abroad for American automobiles, which had been gaining strength from year tgrz:n and progressing with cumulative 1 Viewed as a whole, the business now presents a picture of a great industry starting at various points throughout the United States where motor units and complete motor cars are built and assembled from raw materials, shipped abroad, carried in stock, sold and dis- tributed through highly specialized mer- chandising organizations, and financed 303 denterto” e Smat puremoator e final purchaser American capital. " B Such an organization from its very nature must be a high-speed machine and one of great force. The capital it represents demands that it must func- tion continuously and efficiently, FIFTEEN CARS START ON TEST OF TIRES Autos Are to Be Driven 30,000 Miles to Obtain Data on Casings. The mechanical excellence of the present day automobile has been so often demonstrated by its various manufacturers, that there is scarcely a point pertaining to their performance on which the prospective buyer cannot be accurately informed. It is doubtful, however, if the average car owner is equally well posted on the performance of the tires on his particular make of car under every kind of driving and road conditions; and it are data of this nature that would seem to be the ob- ject of special research in the interests of the public. Following a send-off ceremony by Mayor Walker, Wednesday, January 23, at 12:30 pm., a fleet of 15 silvered motor cars of all makes and models FIVE FACTORS SEEN INAUTO'S FUTURE Development of Motor Indus- try Outlined by Head of Jordan Company. Five facts will characterize the devel- j opment of the automobile industry dur- ing the next five years, according to { Edward S. Jordan, president of the Jor- | dan Motor Car Co. First: The recent trip of Herbert | Hoover, the best salesman we have in the United States, who is just a fore- runner of a world-wide selling campaign to establish the American automobile at the forefront of transportation in every nook and corner of the globe. This means that any excess produc- tion which the domestic market will not take will find a ready market in other countries of the world where the build- ing of good roads has become a political necessity, as it did & few years ago in the United States. Second: The developments of the past few years have demonstrated the neces- sity for rapid changes in models. This is proving the argument that the smaller production manufacturers have always made. It gives him a chance for definite survival. He can turn style- wise over night, while the volume prc- ducer must spend millions and take many months’ time to meet the chang- ing trend. It is the same trend which made the shoe manufacturers abandon standard production and produce one hundred different styles for women— the same trend which made the clothing manufacturers recognize the demand for varying styles. Third The cost of engineering changes are mot mechanical in these days, but have to do with bodies, and little details of equipment. which please the woman. The production manager is no longer in the saddle in the automobile factory. The process is quite simple. The sales manager and the advertising man have come to the fore. Today it is cost of distribution which the automobile manufacturer must face. So we may ook for an acceptance of the automo- bile from the engineering standpoint, and less boastful statements about the volume of production, with more ad- vertising and selling effort concentrated upon the little details. Changing Styles. Fourth: Styles will change with every season, as in women’s gowns and wom- en’s hats. The days of volume produc- tion of uninteresting standard models are no longer with us. The daughter from Tulsa, Okla, who visited the Louvre last Summer will choose the au- tomobile from now on. That will effect the economies of the industry from stem to stern. Fifth: The banker has become a most. important factor in the automobile business. His point of view is changing somewhat. There was a time when he chose to support the dealer because of the number of automobiles that the dealer could deliver from his back door. Now he is getting wise to the automo- bile business. He is inclined to support the dealer who sells a more limited number of cars at a profit to a more desirable class of people; and while he may do less volume, he will have more money in the bank at the end of the ear. ‘When Herbert Hoover, whom we rec- ognize as the new general sales man- ager of the United States, left for South America, he took the first step toward selling the excess output of every great American 1x;élustry to the people of the outside world. Since the productive capacity of the factories of the United States is well over 30 per cent in excess of our nor- mal consumptive demand, and every industry has endured the peaks and curves of rising and falling sales, the automobile industry has been watching with real interest Mr. Hoover's efforts to relieve the problem of excess output. Last year we built nearly 4,500,000 au- tomobiles and shipped perhaps 1,000,000 units abroad. With every selling or- ganization in the industry concentrating upon foreign sales, and the Paris and London shows highly colored with Amer- ican lacquer, the sales abroad in 1929 should show a very marked increase. However, the ambitions of American producers are always quite in excess of the consumptive possibilities of the world market. Therefore, we may not expect to sell all of the 7,000,000 cars that the American manufacturers have scheduled for 1929. But- since China is even employing schoolgirls to build roads, and Germany is out best foreign market, and even India is buying Chicago gum, we may have hopes that the world market will open to American products in a sur- prising way. Trend of Design. What is going to be the trend of automobile design and production in the next few years? Engineers have done nearly every- thing they could without being radical. No startling changes are looked for in this department. The productive capacity of a small group of the larger plants is beyond the consumptive capacity of the world at_present. Th= problem today is a merchandising problem. The difficulty lies in the cost of delivering the finished product from the factory to the consumer, since for every new car delivered, three or four old ones must be taken in and sold. There was a time was a new motor was sufficient. Finally bodies came to the fore—then colors occupied the cen- ter of the stage. Now the woman is deciding, on the basis of little things, while the husband buys the car upon careful consideration of what he is al- lowed for his old car. Traffic conditions in the cities will substantially reduce the sales of new cars. Merchandising costs will elimi- nate inefficient dealers. The rapidity of changes in models will greatly re- duce the profits of the volume produc- ers, but the great fundamental necessi- ty of transportation will provide for an annual output of several millions cars throughout the world. Today the automobile manufacturer is concentrating upon the foreign mar- ket because there he faces a situation much more favorable than the domes- tic outlook. ~While we have in this D. C. AUTOMOTIVE TRADE BODY OPENS NEW OFFICE Indicative of the growing interest and influence of the Washington Automo- tive Trade Assoclation is the fact that UNDER THE DIREGCFEFION A reputation of twenty-six years in a car which thou- sands can now afford to own in the public mind as a builder of higher priced cars. Now there is a Marmon as low as $1465—another which is priced slightly under $2000. These new Marmons were made possible by the ac- G. M. Williams, President Marmon Motor Car Com- pany, wnder whose direc- Upper: President Eight Brougham. Lower: Erskine Six Royal Sedan. an office has been opened at 1700 I street northwest. Basil J. Kelly, newly appointed secre- tary, plans to have the office open all day and available to members of the association for information, meetings and general service. The association plans to make a drive for new members and to promote activ- ities which will increase the interest in the organization. The regular meetings of the associa- tion are held monthly and programs for these meetings are now being worked out. It is hoped to have many promi- nent men of the automobile world ad- dress the local association this year. Battle Expected in Low-Priced Car Field As Manufacturers Prepare for Big Year NEW YORK (P).—War clouds are gathering over the automotive industry as the new year dawns, with indica- tions of what is expected to be the greatest industrial battle of history. Tire and accessory manufacturers probably will be drawn into the conflict of motor car manufacturers in the “under $1,000” price field, and it takes no unusually astute observer to ap- preciate the fact that the outcome of the battle will find many companies in- volved either in “red ink” or absorbed by the stronger firms. Ford vs. General Motors. Competition in car and truck sales will be far more intense in 1929 than in prosperous 1928, from present indi- cations. Not only in the home market is the war expected to rage, but also in the foreign field, where American manufacturers have drawn their skir- mish lines of factories and sales branches. Ford and General Motors are likely to be the chief contenders, Ford pro- duction having during the last half of 1928 facreased to a point where the company will be in position to make more prompt deliveries and to a degree overcome the lead of General Motors and other companies who profited by the Ford shut-down during development of the new model. Willys-Overland, Studebaker, Durant, Chrysler and other mamufacturers of light cars undoubtedly will be forced to fight a battle, victory in which rests almost entirely upon ability to match prices, make deliveries and overcome intense competition. ‘Tire makers also will participate especially in the primary market where low prices and quick deliveries will mean much to vehicle manufacturers desirous of equipping their product effi- ciently and cheaply. Business acumen far above the ordinary will be needed to weather the storm in this division and to serve the growing home market simultaneously with maintenance of prestige in the foreign fleld. Goodyear is regarded as a major factor in this warfare, with Seiberling, United States Rubber, Goodrich, Lee and others sharing the brunt of battle. Accessory War Foreseen. Lines of battle are less clearly marked in the accessory fleld, but undoubtedly and accessory manufacturers will occupy & position, especially as regards the primary market, not unlike that of the tire manufacturers. Wholesale mergers would occasion little surprise, although the war clouds in this area are shot with the silver lin- ing of a growing demand for aircraft accessories, thus broadening the market. 1405 AT FACTORY ~ Bringing to the medium Repercussions of the battle undoubt- edly will be felt in the stock markets, with future price trends of securities of the warring companies presenting puzzles worthy of any economist. Maintenance of sales supremacy at prices which insure attractive returns to stockholders will be a problem, solu~ tion of which Wall Street will watch with interest. GIANT SNOWPLOWS READY FOR ACTION Maryland Prepares to Battle Drifts With Big Motor Vehicles. Special Dispatch to The Star. BALTIMORE, January 26.—Eight glant snowplows, each capable of keep- ing clear more than 50 miles of road- way in the heaviest storms known to Maryland, have been stationed at stra- tegic points throughout the State ready for service, according to John N. Mack- all, chief engineer of the State roads commission. The plows were purchased by the commission following a successful test of one on a snow-banked 40-mile stretch of road between Elkton and Chestertown last February. _After studying results of the test, Mr. Mack- all authorized purchase of the plow at a cost of $9,000. ‘The plows are of such mobility as to guarantee their being moved to any area in the State in the event of a heavy snow which would threaten mighway traffic, Mr. Mackall said. ‘The locations of the plows this time were announced as follows: One for the main roads around Baltimore, another for the Washington-Baltimore boulevard, others in the Hagerstown, Hancock, Frederick, Salisbury and Montgomery County districts, while another will keep clear the Defense highway and Annapolis boulevard. These plows are capable of moving snow from the heaviest drifts in road- ways and hurling it over fences along the road, tests have shown. Each vehicle has four driving wheels and a pushing power of approximately 8 tons and costs about $50 per day to operate. ‘The work the plows are capabla of do- ing, however, if accomplished by man power. would cost the State $10,000 per day, it was estimated. price purchaser for the first time the joy of owning a truly fine car of established prestige GFr G MW. WDLELTA MiS You might still hear it said, “No, we didn’t look at the Marmon; we couldn’t possibly afford it”— so indelibly is Marmon stamped tivities of the new and aggressive Marmon organization which recognized that there is a vast market existing for cars of the highest distinction at moderate cost. tion the opportanities of Marmon ownership have been extended to & vast T feel that its outlook is excellent for a | left City Hall Park, New York City, on | prosperous year, and one in which it will | country an average of one car to every @ 30,000-mile tour of the United States, | These cars have about them an individuality not to be serve its vast public to even better ad- vantage than it has in the past. As alw the automobile manufacturer who achieves the greatest actual value in his product is going to receive maxi- | mum public support. The automobile market is stabilized today, and honest value in his product is the determining factor in the manufacturer’s success or faflure. There may be fewer companies | in the fleld when the year 1929 ends, | but those companies will prosper by vir- tue of the actual service they render motorists of the world. Per capita wealth in this country and per capita eamning power were never better. For | this reason, I do not anticipate any un- | usual hazards in the continued financ- ing of automobile sales for the retail buyer when the financing is carried on & proper basis.” Winter Auto Racing. Ascot Park’s five-eighth mile dirt speedway in Los Angeles is to reopen under a nmew name and management January 13. The eight or 10 meetings will provide Winter coffee and cakes for the boys until the eastern season opens May 1. Gasoline, at retail, costs well over a billion dollars annually—equal to the employment of over 1,000,000 men at $5* per day 1 - v for one year. under the auspices of thg B. F. Good- rich Rubber Co., for the purpose of demonstrating to the public the effects of the cars, roads and driving condi- tions upon the tires used. All the cars will travel at a uniform rate of speed, and at no time will they make any effort to avoid bad roads. ST G R S OUTDOOR GARAGE ENDS | accident sufferers. four or five people, the average abroad {over all the countries is more nearly | one car to every 60 peopls Fake Accident Ring Caught. Extensive frauds against 20 insurance companies of Paris are said to have been unearthed with the arrest of the medical staff and a number of “acci- dent victims” at a clinic for factory a The Greek doctor in charge is said to have cleaned up CHICAGO PARKING PLANS | more than $15.000 in the alieged deals Lake Front Space, Held for Beauti- fication, Now Used by 4,000 Cars. CHICAGO (#).—The world's largest outdoor parking area might have been 2 beautiful section of Grant Park if Chicago’s traffic problem had not been s0_acute. Parking was prohibitedin the Loop before the park commissioners had realized their plans to improve and en- large Grant Park’s lake front terrtory. Immediately there arose a demand to allow parking in the unfinished area of the park, including more than a mil- lion square feet, - Now 4,000 cars find an outdoor ga- rage in Grant Park. The park com- missfoners wonder if their beautifica- tion program ever will be a reality. Men are said to have received accident compensation under several different names, and some uninjured persons are believed to have collected money by showing the identification papers of { actual victims, Racers Bask in Sun. Los Angeles may no longer be the racing capital so far as actual racing activities go, but the boys gradually filter out to the warmer clime of South- | ern California for the Winter months. Those at present basking in the sun- shine include Lou Meyer, Moore, Duray, Spence, Frame, Bergere, McDonough, and Brett. Sixty per cent of all the plate glass manufactured—a strip one foot wide and 12,000 miles long—goes into motor cars, new clientele found in the usual “mass production” makes and are straight-eights, rather than sixes. Try a Marmon and see how much a moderate amount of money can really buy. New Series 68, $1465. New Series 78, $1965. Prices at factory. De luxe equipmens exire MARMON MOTORS, Inc. 1727 Conn. Ave. Potomac 861 Used Cars Service Station 1733 14th St. N.W. 1227 R St. N.W. North 7155 North 4457 Dealers and Service at all Important Points A. C. MOSES, President