Evening Star Newspaper, October 12, 1930, Page 61

In the Motor World BY G. ADAMS HOWARD. HERE was no indication of depression among the mem- bers of the Washington Automotive Trade Associa- tion last week when they got together to plan the local auto- mtablllle show. W‘:th ext'lkt;hush.nn and happy expectancy the mem- be voted to have the annual event at the Auditorium, and set the date for January 24 to 31, in- clusive. As usual, Rudolph Jose will be chairman of the Show Committee, Because of reported success of the shows on Sundays in other cities it was decided to keep the Auditorium open that day here. An optimistic feeling exists among the dealers represented in the trade Jbody that business condi- ons in the automotive industry 11l show a decided improvement during 1931. People who have put off buy! new cars this year, it is believed, will be inclined to do 80_then. . The automobile is a necessity to the average family today, fall- ing in the same category as food and clothes. Purchasing of the latter can be postponed, and so it is with the new car, but eventually it becomes essential. ‘There have been many improve- ments adopted by the manufac- turers—all for the advancing of durability and comfort of the driver and passenger. The fur- therance of safety devices also has not been wanting. At the present time the prospective buyer can be positively assured that whatever car he picks out he is going to get & good one. Shows Creating Interest. .'x'hc, !::umad cn?nto Shows rl{ lew York an cago again w be great events and are interest an increasing amount of publicity typed out by volumi- nous writers. More than.54 makes of ears, trucks and taxicabs will be ex- hibited at theé National Automo- bile Shows at New York and Chi- €ago next Jnnulrg. according to the drawing of the members of the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce, held here last week in the United States Chamber of Commerce Building. This is nine more exhibits than last year. The drawing was held in this eity instead of New York, as in the past, because most of the manufactuers are attending the International Road Congress which is also in progress. At Grand Central ce, where the New York show will be held, the main floor and mezzanine, as is customary, will be occupied by complete passenger cars. The third floor will contain automo- biles, commercial vehicles and accessories, and the fourth floor will be devoted to accessories and the shop equipment section, the latter to be confined to the trade exclusively until 5 p.m. daily. At _Chicage the main floor of the Coliseum will house complete passenger cars, while the gallery and the second floor of the south hg]l wmlh&v‘;&memfluA:nb%& shop equip section. expositions a majority of the accessory éxhibitors are met- bers of the Motor and Equipment Association. New York Show Opens January 3. The New York exhibition will be held January 3 to 10, and the Chi- a{% sh;awl anuary 24 to 31. e fol passenger cars will be exhibited: Auburn, Austin, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, 3 !ou:. Durant, Essex, Franklin, Gardner, Graham, Jordan, LaSalle, Lincoln, Marmon, Moon, Nash, Oakland, Oldsmobile, P , Peerless, Pierce-Arrow, Studebaker, Stuts, Viking, Willys- Knight, w‘higpet lnm r. Truck exhibits Chevrolet, Corbitt, Diamond T, Federal, General Motors, Maccar, Paige, Reo, Schacht, Stewart, 8. P, A. and Willys. Three taxicabs will be on dis- play. They will be the Checker, the Dodge and the Yellow Cab. There is no likellhood of any decrease in the prices of auto- mobile tires, in spite of the recent decrease of 2 cents a nd in the price of crude rubber, it is agreed by leading tire manufac- turers. While about eight pounds of crude rubber are built into a small sized tire, other items of expense in the production of this tire have changed little in the past few months and have much more to do with tire prices than the price of tl:!'mle rubber has, it is pointed out. Financial Journals Quoted. In this connection various financial journals are quoted as saying: “William O’Neil, president of one of the large rubber companies, large producer of replacement tires, said the price of tires was only about one-tenth of the pre- war price and that in view of other factors, such as reduced schedules, the drop in price of crude rubber can have little effect. “‘Even a 20 per cent drop from 10 to 8 cents a pound, in crude rubber, when crude rubber ac- counts for approximately only 15 per cent of the entire cost of a tire, can hardly be passed on to consumer,’ Mr. O'Neil declared. Reduced schedules of approxi- Hudson, Hupmobile, | be ackard, Plymouth, Pontiac, Reo, Ruxton, Auto Raci To AKRON, Ohio, October 11.—The cur- fain is nearly drawn over the automo- bils racing season of 1930, and fans, sutomotive men and the drivers them- selves look forward to one of the great- est_stove league since Barney Oldfield first drove old “999” a mile a minute. For, according to those who have followed:the A. A. A. the season, they have plenty to talk about. New cars, new to ur;y the addi- “ehanges grected the 1930 array of talent when the pistol cracked at '.m“{ndh.mpouc Motor Speedway last Mw. Altoona, Syracuse and other cities—always valuable as grounds for the automotive and tire men—this year were to prove more valuable than ever. The colorful, thrilling game of mobile racing has never and has never been on a more solid basis than in 1930, according to E. Waldo Stein, racing tire expert of a rubber company, and an authority on automobile racing questions. Stein believes the two-man cars which made their appearance on the tracks this have proved more stable, offer “more protection to the driver and mechanic than the ol single-place car, and have shown them - auto- more selves just @s fast, in answer to the | mately 20 per cent have cost the tire in the one item of il gaia by this drop.in the mol crude rubber.’ “He gave as an example a tire oF 100000000, broducing. avout 3 , produc! abou 14,000,000 tires & year at full schedule, which must charge off 10 per cent or $10,000,000 a year for da-f‘l;eclltlon. = is company produces only 12,500,000 tires this year, as it probably will, it still must charge off $10,000,000 deflmhuon.' Mr. O'Neil sald. ‘This means that each tire produced must bear 10 cents or more of this charge, while the recent drop in the price of crude is only about 16 cents on the average small size tire.’ Claim Sales Below Cost. “Officials of other companies agreed with Mr. O'Neil that tires were as cheap as they could profitably be built, and, although none would predict an immediate increase, several agreed that tires were now in many cases being sold below production cost. “A high official quoted authori- ties to the effect that the present price of rubber was 6 cents a pound less than the lowest esti- mate of the cost at which crude rubber could be produced in any place, and 11 cents below the g‘enera.lly accepted cost of produc- on. » “Officials lgreed that there was no economic ‘basis for expectation of a reduction in tire prices at this time based on the drop in crude rubber prices. “‘When tire companies quit their silly competition and start for tires something near their uction cost there will be an increase instead of a drop,’ one official said.” All of which does not help the yuhuc in any way. The manu- acturers know that automobiles must have tires, and so they must bought. The so-called “silly competition” is the only cause preventing the public from pay- ing five times the price of tires they now do. s Fans Looking Forward reatest Stove League Sessions toona and the other tracks this year ved itself more capable than ever , according to the tire expert. “Race track drivers are not gamblers on their tire equipment,” Stein assert- ed, “for they know that their chances e cham and Indianapolis winner; Shorty Cantlon, runner-up; Bill Cum- mings, Louls Meyer, Deacon Litz and other winners during the A. A. A. sea- son chose their tires carefullly. Arnold made only three tire changes during the entire season, and there were for precaution’s sake, according to the tire man. Stein discussed the present-day driver. He sald the old familiar names of Barney Oldfield, Tommy Milton, Harry Hartz, Bennie Hill, Clff Woodbury, Eddie Hearne and others in the old- timers’ ranks are passing from the pic- ture as active drivers. “We are in the beginning of a new era—we are seeing the start of a new cycle of automobile racing drivers. Last {ur the names of Billy Arnold, Cant- on, Litz and Cummings were unknown in championship circles. A few years ago the same was true of Louis Meyer, other great youthful driver.” A potential crop of champions will also emerge from racing in the next few wealth of speculation which arose last | years because of the training that the Bpring. “I belleve that records at the interna- tional 500-mile race at Indianapolis might have been cracked this year ex- cept for the five-car smash-up which slowed drivers rably. I feel sure that the record will fall in the 1931 Indianapolis race,” Stein said. ‘Tire performance at Indianapolis, Al- DONT DRIVE ToO € TO THE CAR AHEAD ALLOW A SAFE MARGIN FOR. UNEXPECTED TURNS ,STOPS, OR CHANGES IN SPEED, SO THAT You WILL HAVE TIME AND SPACE TO AVOID TROUBLE. mechanics now get in being ths second men in the cars. ORGANIZED BAND OF AUTO THIEVES IN BALTIMORE Police Are Unable to Recover 123 of 2,030 Machines Stolen Within Year. Special Dispatch to The Btar, BALTIMORE, October 11.—An or- ‘band of automobile thieves, the first in nearly seven years, been operating in Baltimore in the last few months, according to the police. based their belief on the fact that tl have been unable to recover 123 of 2,030 cars reported stolen this year, Last 1,905 of 1,950 machines stolen in nine months were ™ Fast month, 247 reported monf cars were stolen and of these the police were unable to recover 25, while the usual average lost in the last five or six years has been no more than 10 or 12 & month. ‘The fact the majority of autos stolen in the t month were old models, leads police to believe the “auto jacks” are directing their thieving activities toward antiquated models for a definite Ea‘rpun. ‘The “jacks” they sald, run car off to same junk “fence,” where they are broken up, stripped of Murs.mdtmme:lmwmlw THE DOWN THE ROAD—The Penalty of Progress. DRIVING THE "MODEL OF A MAKE GREATES B SEN FOR WORLD AMITY Viewed Beneficial by A. A A ‘The E‘Ihlt bid for international amity the history of the United States will come as an aftermath to the Sixth International Road Congress when delegates from 61 nations will make a series of tours to various sec- tions of the country. This statement was issued today by the Foreign Travel Division of the American Automobile Association, which has been designated by the Organizing Commission to aid in con- ducting the tours. The principal one under A. A. A. auspices will cover the Eastern United States with members of the party from England, Germany, Holland, France, Rumanis, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Italy, Sweden and Hungary. Benefits Far Reaching. ‘There has never before been a time, sald the A. A. A, when so many world powers have been represented in joirt tours of this country, and the benefits of international relations with this eoufl:’y ‘wul be !Q.r;nnlwhlnl. i orelgn travel agency, whic maintains representatives lnqn abroad and is affliated with travel or- ganizations in the principal nations, mnud out that historical records of Government fail to disclose a more comprehensive series of international View Economic Problems, “While these delegates to the Road Congress from all parts of the world,” said the statement, “are rily in- terested in obtaining first-hand infor- mation on highway construction and finance, will also delve into eco- nomic problems. Motor transport in all its ramifications will be studied on the tours.” The tour party under A. A. A. mk}- will leave Washington at mid- t, Sunday, October 12, and Pitts- ited. Other points include cities in Ohio, Illinois, Michigan and points in On!f , Canada, New York, Massa- chusetts and Rhode Island. In addition to this tour, others will be handled directly by the Organizing Commission of the congress. As a re- sult, all delegates attending the con- gress will have ample opportunity ‘to study problems of road building and maintenance and the entire program is e to stimulate highway con- struction abroad and to have a bene- ficial effect on international travel, NOVEL METHOD USED Sends Out Letter for Motor Car. A novel way of informing automobile owners that their cars need proper taking care of is brought to the atten- tion of many motorists this week by means of & circular sent out by W. J. Chown, manager of a local sales com- ny. ”'rhe circular starts with the heading that “This is a Letter From Your Motor Car to_You." Following the salutation, “Dear Pal,” it reads as follows: “You thought & lot of me when you bought me and we have had many fine trips together, but there is such a dif- ference between the way that you and I are repaired that I want you to lend for & moment. y buretor should be adjusted for colder weather, My battery should be at highest efficiency that I may start when ou touch the button. A good mixture LI my radiator will also prevent my giving you that frozen look. “Both of us will be more comfortable if you will have a heater installed. ‘They're not expensive. “I thank you for the care you have ven me and will appreciate your mak- g me comfortable for tI colder weather that is just around the corner. “And I have noticed that when you are not feeling well that you go to & specialist, so please take me to that modern motor hospital at . . . where factory trained experts will pect me free and tell you what I need. If you will have them make me mechanically safe and sound I will purr with satis- faction and carry you and your family in complete security everywhere. “Your faithful pal, Your Motor Car.” ————d Only & fraction over 4 per cent of wrm national income is expended for BLIC. IN PUI P Aftermath of Road Congress| ports | Jeft TO ADVISE REPAIRING {W. J. Chown, Local Manager,! FIRST NEW POPULAR The confusion over traffic lights proves it's still possible to have a taste of the good old daze. It is an excellent idea for a woman to have the tire pressures checked at the garage or filling station before start- ing for & ride. Maybe the tires do not need additional air, but the testing will also check the efficiency of the tire valves. Many & slow leak has been nipped in the bud through taking this precaution. When & woman has learned what seems to be the fundamentals of driv- ing, she is quite apt to acquire a few mistakes as well. It's a common fail- of all is the idea that some of the rules of the roacd are just technical enough to make occasional violation of them of n t consequence. This, however, ignores one of the great- est fundamentals in driving. If anything happens when you are violating a law, no matter if it is a technical violation of no special con- sequence in itself, you have no redress in court. Add to the above the necessity of giv- ll:l.lght;:orl‘ecl kind of]:lz‘::l with your nd when you are re a message to the driver behind. e other day a woman motioned to another woman to come on around to the left and then lmmadhh"xfl made 8 left turn. Often drivers give the signal for slow when they are about to turn or will turn right when giving a signal for a turn. It isn't enough merely to signal. For the small but determined group may I pass along the suggestion that & tube of cold cream be carried in the car. If cream is rubbed over the hands before the work is done, cleaning up without water can be readily accom- L skin, too, is protected. A woman who travels extensively and who knows the importance of avoidin; having the car washed while the hood | is still hot from the engine orders a wash for the car in a way that pre- vents any possibility of too hasty a trip to the washstand. When garaging the car she always says she does not think it necessary to have the car washed. Bl;‘et l{elnheh!uh fllu:t a wash ll'ln order sl lephones the garage from the hotel & couple of hours later. ‘The reason the hand crank was so long passing out of the picture was be- cause many old timers liked to crank. Women wouldn't stand for it at all, and 80 the self starter came in. I think we are repeating this with transmissions. The other day I drove with a chap who throughly enjoyed shifting from high to second at 35. He wouldn't have the transmission eliminated from the pic- ture without feeling that he had ,fut half of the pleasure of driving. For safety’s sake switch off the en- when ha the rear tank filled NEGLIGENT BACKING HELD CAUSE OF ACCIDENTS Reversing Without Looking Is| Fraught With Danger, Says Dealer. t backing of automo- ‘That neg biles is & pedestrians need to exercise consider- able caution, he declares. “There is perhaps no cause of traf- fic accidents which is so much the re- sult of carelessness as the backing of an automobile,” says Mr. Coolican. “The motorist who puts his gears in LOOK AT THE FUNNY INSTRUMENT drivers. One of these mis- 8e& of women who change their own tires | reverse and moves backward without assuring himself that no one is in the way is not prompted by a vicious im- .Heh&:fifimx‘flm.b\unh ughtlessness which s e certainly start ahead without satisfying himself that the way was clear.” Third Edition of “Facts” Issued. ‘The third edition of Petroleum Facts | and Figures, published by the American | Petroleum Institute, is now available. —_—ee——— DEAD STORAGE Automobiles Like Fine Furniture Require Good Care ETROPOLITAN 80 Fla. Ave. N.E. _Pot 0682 e SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, OCTOBER 12, 1930—PART FOUR. —By FRANK BECK IT MAY LOOK OKAY ™S A YEAR Milady’s Motoring BY FREDERICK C. RUSSELL. with gas. Your gas gauge may be wrong, fuel may spill over the hot ex- haust pipe and there may be trouble— serious trouble. If you have ever wondered why it is that you are able to make such a quiet, easy shift to high, while the lower wn are handled noisely, this should ) good time to lift the curtain on & few of :u essential features of the transmis- on. In a conventional set of gears you do not actually mesh gears when you shift to high, which explains why you do it so gracefully. at happens is that the shift lever moves one of the sliding rs ahead on its shaft until it fits 'u:dlfed Hog‘-hmu'hum ing . " agal gear connected to the clutch shaft. For the other shifts you actually have to mesh gears. That es & difference. High gear will make a racket if it isn't rotating at about the right speed for teaming with the main driving gear, but the will catch even if the speeds are ly different. With the other gears you have got to be a little more accurate or pay the penalty through s racket. On some of the newer transmissions | the above rules have to be modified. One of them I have in mind that is used on several makes of cars has con- stant mesh gears for the two top speeds. Beveral other cars are equipped with special devices in the transmission to synchronize the gear speeds automati- cally. ‘Still another car has constant mesh for second gear. You can't go wrong with your shifting of these gear- sets except in low and reverse, where the conventional arrangement still is found. Incidentally don’t use the gears to hold the car When parking, unless you are on a steep hill or the hand brake is out ril u‘:.der In g mu‘v;rlkl:l some people have a grea umping other cars, and there is no sense in allowing these shocks to be transmitted through the gears to the engine. FLEXIBLE! The bantam Austin turns quickly, arte D Gt rerre e in a city street, steers without effort. 1835 NOW BUT P WAIT TILL BULLETIN1S ISSUED ONWINTER DRIVING Motor and Equipment Asso- ciation Gives Helpful Advice to Motorists. Approach of freezing weather makes it necessary for the car owner to make sure that all parts of his automobile likely to be affected by the change in | temperature are in good condition and fully protected, say the Motor and Equipment Association in & bulletin on Winter driving. Winter brings on a whole new set of driving conditions. The car’s per- formance, driving comfort, safety and ce are affected by these con- and a complete check-up before the first cold snap arrives will show what must be done to prevent the troubles which lead to expensive re- pairs and costly depreciation. ‘Thorough inspection will suggest what is needed to prepare the car against the rigors of Winter. things will have to be dore to keep it performing satisfactorily. Additions to the car's equlgment in the way of new accessories offer ways of keeping the discomforts of cold driving down to a minimum. Hazards of Winter driving can be reduced greatly through addi- tion of necessary safety equipment and the adjustment of brakes, lights, steer- | ing_equipment and horn. Owners taking pride in the appear- ance of their cars find that this is the time of the year to prepare against the damage which the elements and rapidly changing temperatures can do. Inspec- tion and the necessary adjustments, re- placements, repairs and additions dis- covered thereby is the only way to prac- tice preventive maintenance. MANY MOTORISTS HELD TO BE IGNORANT OF HIGHWAY RULES Some Regulations Are So Universal That They Are Kno wn Merely as Common Courtesies. BY H. CLIFFORD BROKOW, Automobile Technical Writer. It is often surprising to find out how little many people who presume to drive automobiles know about rules of the road which are really vital. Doubt- less pveryone knows that when one ve- hicle meets another, each shall pass to the right. Most people understand that when. one car overtakes another, the car behind passes (if it desires to pass) to the left. But many drivers do not heed the rules not to pull over to the right again until entirely clear of and past the other car. In “I;f a street car, one keeps to the rr:t the dis- tance between the car and the curb permits and if one overtakes a street car which has stopped for ngers, one cannot pass, it must wait some eight feet back until the way has been cleared and the car moves on. Every State, of course, has its own traffic regulations and every city or community its own conception of such regulations. That a driver is not ac- A}uaf.nhd with the rules, particularly in ocalities where he occasion to travel often, is no excuse, for a copy of such laws may be secured by writing is, however, general uniformity regard- ing automobile traffic lations, so that if one is acquainted with them thoroughly in one’s own State, the chances are that he will not go far wrong when traveling away from the usual surroundings. Some of these rules are so universal that they can be called common “courtesies” of the road. Keep to the Right. 8Slow moving vehicles should always keep to the extreme right. Some slower moving vehicles are prone to be under st When: ihey get ouk ‘ovke”the Nigh when get out on - ways which have been broad :Iblroew four streams namr streams ways abe oy w] hnpgem. Always ht when a car behind signals that it wishes to pass, and keep travel- ing on the right unless you are speed- ing faster than the cars in that lane. ‘When at street intersections, on curves, or going up or down hill, never pass another vehicle going in the same direction. At street intersections give the right of way to the car at your right. Do not Jresume too much when you do have the right of way. Per- haps the other driver thinks he has it too. There are certain vehicles which of way over all others, such as: United to the secretary of any State. There |, cles and emergenc; cars of lic service Ccfmwl’luflnl’ R?ur i ecessary when pl slow up or stop or turn. In New York right turns are indicated by extending the arm from the side of the car and pointing upward; left turns by extending the arm horizontally; curb, unless the street has one-way traffic only. The wheels should be cramped to the right so that the car cannot move far accidentally. The emergency brake should be on and the gear in neutral before leaving the car. A vehicle ought not be parked between 8 car stop safety zone and the curb, but about 25 feet to the rear of such a zone. for should it come nearer than 15 feet to a fire hydrant. A car should never be parked 5o as to prevent the free pas- :r of other automoblles, or so *hat it 1l prevent another car already ked from moving safely from its mtm Lower Headlights. ‘When you approach another car in the dark, throw your lights downward. It is a gentlemanly thing to do as well as a safety precaution. Non-glaring headlights are stipulated in the traffic regulations of practically all States, but drivers negligently ignore this tion, and often come to grief. are numerous other traffic rules as well, all of 1 g8 12§ H it 15 generally recognized have the right | regul States mail carriers, mumicipal d‘e’g‘fl'— ysi- ments, fire_patrol, ambulances, clans with police permits, military vehi- PARIS, October 11.—The twenty- fourth Paris automobile salon, in ses- sion here, shows that somber colors pre- vall as the most popular finish. The majority of the cars are in black or very dark shades. The other colors, in the order of their importance, are brown, blue, green, gray and maroon. Red and yellow are represented on & small number of cars, yellow appearing biles and red on the smaller. There is a marked absence of freak shades. ‘The salon shows that Prench manu- facturers and color experts have copled the American lead in the use of what might be called composite colors. shades are employed as a rule. This is especially noticeable in the blues, grays and maroons. Schemes of decorating the cars differ little from those of last year and keep to sober lines, but there is great refine- ment of detail. Rare woods are used widely. Chromium metal is much in vogue. Oolored fenders remain popular, especially with builders. The e ‘Twelve States have driver examina- tions. In the minority of cars which are! finished in brighter colors very light \Somber Colors Prevailing as Popular Finish at the Paris Automobile Salon meral it may be said that than ever is given to perfec- finish and inside decoration. chiefly on the larger type of automo- | rials, Going Around a Bit, Too. Prom the Wheel. -Where yuh been? coach proportion of black to colored fenders on European cars is about two to one. PFirst Gear—! Second Gear—Aw, just meshin® around. ‘The bantam Austin parks in ten and ® half feet of curb space, saves you time and CROWDED dpaces Forty miles on a gallon of gas! Smile as you outwit the crowd with the bantam Austin... slip through traffic jams while big cars honk in vain. .. park in spaces that other cars despair of...lead the pack at the green light’s flash. . . do fifty on the straightaway. Smile again as you pay for two hundred miles of gasoline with a dollar bill, run twenty to forty thousand miles on a set of tires. Figure less than three-quarters of a cent a mile for gas, oil and tires. Enjoy Austin’s smart lines, its almost unbelievable easy riding, its effortless handling. It lists for but $445 F.O. B., factory. Come and see it. . “The AMeRICAN (%{A L Distributors GARRETT MOTOR CO., Inc. Open Evenings and Sundays 14th St. NW, s Assoctate Lurey, Va. Dealers temper in crowded districts.