Evening Star Newspaper, October 31, 1937, Page 84

G2 NEW MODEL CARS ACCLAIMED BEST Head of Washington Auto- motive Trade Body Praises New Medels. By OSCAR COOLICAN. President Washington Automotive Trade Association Those progressive minded thousands who will visit the Automobile Show this week will find awaiting their in- spection fascinating and still further improved cars. Without exception each one of the 1938 cars is better than the model which it has replaced. The motor car industry’s greatest guaranty of the future is the fact that automobiles long ago Jjoined food, clothng and shelter as neces- sities of modern existence and this has forced upon the indus- try a task which grows more dif- ficult each year, that of continu- ally producing finer, more com- fortable and more attractive cars. The ex- tent to which the m anu facturers THE GEAR G ) 5 SRIFT ON THE \STEERme POST THE SUNDAY STAR, 1938 OFFERS A VA \ UNDER THE DASH | ()T OPERATES IN THE SAME WAY AS THE GEAR SHIFT ON THE DASH THE CONVENTIONAL i FLOOR LEVER SHIFT) WASHINGTON, D. €, New Cars Designed for Easier Driving RIETY OF GEAR SHIFTS OCTOBER vo. 3"l 31, THEY LOOK. STURDY AND FAST ~ BUILT LOWER — BUT LITTLE CHANGE IN BODY DESIGN CONDITIONED AIR UNIT FOR WINTER DRIVING A NEW SOME CARS FEATURE REAR SPRING SUSPENSION TRAILER MAWUFACTURERS CLAIM GREAT PERFECTION IN BODY CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN AND EXPECT LITTLE CHANGE IN YEARS 1937—PART _SIX. TRUGK LNESHT MONDPOLYSHFT Flexibility of Carriers Danger if “Muscling In” Is Permitted. BY TED V. RODGERS, President, American Trucking Association, Inc. In 1917, one-lunged “contraptions” in cities trying to compete with horses and wagons in offering local transpor- tation service. Today, in 1937, six and eight cylin- der streamlined tractors and trailers haul tons of freight on regular sched- uled over-the-road runs, some as long as 2,000 miles, serving the 48,000 com- munities not reached by any other means of transportation, as well as the Nation's centers of population. ‘The World War served as a proving ground for the practical uses of motor vehicles and gave the trucking induse try the push that started it on the way to a place in the transportation sun. But that growth was made pos- sible by three factors; namely, flexi- bility of service, a lower per unit cost in hauling various commodities, and adaptability to sfecial transportation | needs—from hauling coast defense | cannon to beer and pretzels. Efficiency Proved Early. chugged about the streets of our larger | proved their less-than-carload busi- ness through use of trucks in pick-up and delivery service. When trucks first appeared, their operating costs per unit, except for very short hauls under ideal condi- tions, were higher than those of the railroads. As better roads were con- structed and automotive technology improved, the cost of motor vehicle op- eration decreased. Motor carriers fol- lowed by extending the network of their lines. Oppose Railroad Control. Knowing that the needs of the coun- try can be served best by co-ordinated rather than monopolistic transporta- tion, shippers have frowned on at- tempts of railroads to “muscle in” on the trucking industry. Shippers are cognizant that rallroad management of truck lines would tend to straight- jacket them, destroying their flexi- bility. The National Industrial Traf- fic League is on record with the In- terstate Commerce Commission to the effect that, to foster the inherent ad- vantages of motor transportation, rail- road control of trucking firms should be limited to operations auxiliary or adjunctive to rail service. Regulation of motor transportation {by the Interstate Commerce Commis= |sion and the various State commis- | sions must have as its ultimate goal | the preservation of a free, flexible, economical highway seryice, adapted to | the needs of the industrial and busi- | ness life of the country. Shippers, | as well as motor carriers, have a stake in the future of truck transportation. ADVICE ON PASSiNG DIVERSION DRAWS FIRE OF OFFICIALS Nearly $1,000,000 in Taxes Paid by Motorists Here Used for Non-Road Purposes. A total of nearly $1,000,000 of taxes paid by District of Columbia motorists was diverted from the road fund and spent for non-highway purposes dur= ing 1936, according to Washington I. Cleveland, manager of the A. A. A. | District of Columbia Motor Club, | Basing his statement on official | Government figures, Mr. Cleveland said: “The Bureau of Public Roads, which keeps an annual check on the collec~ tions and expenditures of State gov- ernments, found that last year 35 States and the District of Columbia dipped into the road fund to the tune of approximately $170,000,000. “This gigantic sum of money, repre= senting taxes paid by 3,400,000 motor- ists, was spent for a wide variety of purposes having no connection with either highway development or traffic control. Some $90,000,000 was dumped into the State general funds, $37,000,« }nnn for relief of unemploym | destitution, $33,000,000 for scho |the remainder for a miscell assortment of revenue needs “However dese ‘a< schools and their requireme levies o the costs motorists alone Every car has a certain speed range | cial levies for a special pu motorists are entitled to a dollar's TO COME, EXCEPT IN INTERIOR APPOINTMENTS MANY Tlexibility of service was apparent | from the day the first truckman backed | his wheezing vehicle to the door of a | Mr, this year have succeeded in in- Coolican, in which it picks up best. By know- | worth of roads for every dollar's worth ing this range and being careful not |of taxes collected creasing the values of their products is instantly apparent to those who ride in or drive any of the new cars. The unparalleled increases faced by the industry this year in the cost of every item and every hour entering the construction of motor cars has forced the manufacturers to reluct- artly increase prices, but, figured on ® price per pound basis, the new car prices are still substantially lower than those paid for food, clothing or other necessities of life. Demands Improvement. The automobile buying public con- stantly demands that cars be improved in comfort, quietness, safety, size, ap- pearance and performance. How vastly better these improvements have | been added to the new cars than the increased prices would indicate is clearly visible upon first inspection. This continuing public demand for improvements has always presented obstacles and the automotive industry has led the way industrially by over- coming them despite the unquestioned | fact that virtually every improvement | in itself meant added cost Engineering genius, together with manufacturing ability and courage has led to improved development of the huge machinery required in the manufacture of motor cars. Tre- mendous periodic investments of one year have in turn made possible in | the following years the manufacture | of such improved cars as would be capable of meeting public demands ever hungry for cars steadily improved and lower in maintenance cost. This year's cars more than ever have achieved these results and, had the| manufacturers been unwiiling to risk | their capital in such investments and | in broad engineering experiments, the industry would today be offering cars comparable to the vintage of 1928 both in performance and price. Have Worked Together. Supported by the legion of liberal, appreciative car owners, the auto- mobile industry in its rise to world leadership has been aided by the most enlightened type of co-opera- tion between members of the indus- try. From the earliest days motor car manufacturers have worked to- gether for the solution of common problems. The discovery of a better way to do something by one manu- facturer has been shared with others and there are many instances where rival manufacturers have aided in solving each other's problems. Ex- perience has proven the wisdom and soundness of this policy. The thousands who will visit the Automobile Show this week may properly expect to find alluring com- binations of graceful lines, more roomy and comfortable bodies, safety enhanced by better visibility, greater simpiicity of control, richer and more enduring upholsteries, skillful adap- | - REPLACE THE | STREAMLIN — LIGHTS IN THE FENDER NDIVIDUVAL ED LAMP REVIEW OF THE 938 AUTOMOBILE INTERIORS CAV BE CHANGED To SulT BUYER ] > SHOW) ;, jjuGommiar BEST TECHNIQUE FORTESTING GARS Demonstration of New Ma- chine Important Part of Buying. Does the American motor car buyer need a demonstration in how to take an automobile demonstration? Many automobile men believe that this question should be answered in the affirmative. They maintain that too many rides in the new cars are merely perfunctory, and that the dem- | onstrations are of no value in helping the prospect toward a proper selection. It is the opinion of many men along automobile row that the demonstratiol ride is often merely the prospect’s way of getting what he feels he is entitled to by way of sales service. This view is supported by motor men, who say that often motorists will insist upon a demonstration even though they are entirely sold on the car and are ready to sign on the dotted line. Nothing that would hap- pen during the demonstration would make them change their minds. They just want their money’s worth. A more open mind on the subject would result in far greater success in picking winners, according to the trade's view of the subject. It is im- portant not merely to try all cars in the price class selected, but also a few cars in other price classifications. Only by doing this will it be possible to obtain an idea as to the differences in performance between different price vices contributing to lower mainte- nance cost. These and virtually every other expectation of the motor-wise in- vestor are this week available to him with the year's most fascinating tations of lubrication and cooling de: motor season at hand. groups. The well-posted shopper who makes a survey of the entire market is better able to make a wise selection in the price group which best fits his purse. The time element can make or break a sale. This is appreciated by many motorists in the smaller cities, where week end trips in demonstration cars. If the prospect isn't wedded to the car by this process he knows for a cer- tainty that he would be making a mis- take by purchasing it. Or at least he thinks he does. Maybe the car has not been representative of the entire line. perhaps it wasn't adjusted to do its best. If the trip is too long the prospect may feel that he has imposed upon the dealer. This isn’t conducive to a care- ful selection. The prospect may feel | he doesn't like it. Moderation is preferable. The dem- ostration shouldn't be confined to a | whirl around a too conventional course. | Fifteen minutes isn't time enough to judge any car. Even a half hour is | rather limited. The concensus prob- abuy would pick an hour’s time as about the right interval for getting a | line on what a car will and will not do. Thic should include starting the en- | gine cold, if possible, and some traffic driving. Windshield Wiper Tip. ‘When the windshield wiper becomes loose, most owners seem to feel that something should be done with the wiper mechanism itself, and worry over the problem of how to get under the windshield frame so as to get at this part. All this usually is wasted effort. The wiper can be tightened by turn- ing up the nut on the outside, where the blade comes through the wind- shield. It is also well to put a few drops of penetrating oil at this point now and again. Use the Spare and Save It. Disuse brings rapid deterioration to tires, the Keystone Automobile Club points out. The “spare” should be shifted to a wheel at regular intervals it is not unusual for prospects to take | obligated to buy the car even though | Bureau of Roads Aids 22,000-Mile Highway Program Most of Work, Done in ’36, Was in Co-opera- tion With States. More than 22,000 miles of highway of all classes were completed under the supervision of the Bureau of Pub- lic Roads in the fiscal year that ended June 30. By far the greater portion of this work was done in co-operation with State highway departments and under detailed State supervision. In this class were 11,401 miles of road financed in large part with special emergency funds and 7.367 miles of regular Federal-aid work Notable progress was made in the | Federal program of elimination of hazards at grade crossings in which 1,149 crossings were eliminated, 574 were protected with signals or other devices and 196 separation structures wege reconstructed. The Federal bu- reall points out that this work is im- portant because it includes many of the most dangerous crossings on heavily-traveled routes that have heretofore been neglected because of the large cost. Payments of Federal funds to States on account of the above work totaled $337,747,07 At the close of the fis- PLYMOUTH See the New 1938 MODELS Now on Display SKINKER MOTOR CO. NEW CAR SHOWROOM M at Conn. Ave. Dist. 4742 B T e FIRST LOOK TO JCt. ’ DAY S L R—— T 87 1t's Here—the Great New De Soto—See It Today for Big-Car Value at Small-Car Cost! The curtain’s up—See this new De Soto at Mid City today! It's bigger .. . more luxurious than you dreamed any low-cost car could be! This De Soto is fun to drive! Faster pick-up whisks you through traffic ... & new “cushioned” ride smooths roughest roads . . . complete sound-proofing &eals out noises . . There's room for six people in this big . bigger, genuine hydraulic brakes are safer! new De Soto. The price? Now just above the lowest. Ask at Mid City about the “best deal in town” on & new De Boto or Plymouth! TW- AT MID CITY "COME IN TODAY! OPEN UNTIL 6 P.M. MID CITY AUTO GO.| Washington’s Oldest De Soto-Plymouth Dealers 1711 14th St. N.W. DEcatur 5050 emergency funds were ended and future work will be supported by annual authori- zations for each of the fiscal years 1938 and 1939 of $125,000,000 of Fed- eral aid fo ement of the Fed- eral-aid 000,000 for sec- ondary roads and $50,000,000 for elimination of hazards at grade cross- ings. CAREFUL OWNER LIKELY TO BE BETTER IN PINCH cal year the very largely The man who regularly takes his car in for complete lubrication is mdre likely to be meticulous about the way he handles his car in difficult situations than his contemporary who takes a chance on having the steering connections go dry. It isn't that these steering connections will not with- stand a reasonable amount of neglect, with the driver’s record. Granted that some drivers may lean over back- ward in their effort to “baby” the car there is little justification for the fear that too much concern for the car's welfare may make the driver less interested in the skill needed to handle it safely. It works mostly the other way. Today’s most skillful drivers—and thus the day's safes know their cars intimat shipper, picked up his freight and platform of the consignee. It was evi- dent when truckmen early showed they could handle less-than-carload freight more cheaply and more expeditiously than railroads, getting it from out-of- isolated destinations. Rail- too, in recent years, have im- equally road: but simply that the habit of letting| things slide eventually works havoc| | Alber & McNeil 1418 P St. N.W. the-way places and delivering it at| to try to overtake cars below this carried it directly to the unloadig |point you will be less likely to find | ve | yourself taking chances. If you are not up to the required speed for safe acceleration, the trick is to hold back, picking up to the required speed and then step on it to go by, It's another version of a pet rule about getting ahead by staying behind. NO MORE BIG GAS AND OIL BILLS! Every 1938 Studebaker includes the marvelously efficient Fram oil cleaner as stand- ard equipment. _And Studebaker gas economy would be a credit even to a smaller, lighter car. 2018 14th St. N.W. 10 give your car a margin of space for | | “The most tragic aspect of the di- ion picture is the fact that every | time a State government dips into the | highway fund it adds just that much |more to the traffic hazard. Every available dollar is needed to build the maximum of safe o our highways, | for in that directior: lies one of t | most effective solutions of the safety | problem.” WISCONSIN MOTORS, Inc. 63 Wisc. Ave. N.W. “Easy Parking at All Three Showrooms™ YW-PRICED LUXURY ADILIAC- LA SALLE THE GREATEST CARS EVER TO BEAR THE GREATEST FINE «CAR NAME Incomparably finer in every respect—far more beautiful, more comfortable, and more luxurious —the new Cadillacs and the new LaSalle await your inspection at the Automobile Show! The coachwork of these new cars is superb—their performance is the finest in Cadillac history— and with the amazing new SYNCROMATIC GEAR sHIFT, they possess an almost miraculous new handling ease. We want you tosee them—today} "IODBCT! OF GENERAL MOTORS CA National 3300 Mann Motors, 8129 Georgia Ave., Silver Spriny F. D. Aker Inc. I W.L. Md. King Motor Co. Gaithersburg, Md. i i LOOK AT... THE NEW @adillac-theefwooJ ‘The comfort and luxury afforded by Cadillac’ Fleetwood ew bodies have never been equaled in coach- craft before! Interior roominess is amazing—even the auxiliary chairs cushion passengers in perfect comfort. Luxury predominates everywhere. Yet it is not a costly car—either to buy or to maintain! LOOK AT... THE NE w o[,)n" a”a V-8 ‘The style leadership of LaSalle is even mores pro- nounced this year than ever before! Its beauty and luxury are apparent in the smallest detail! With its thrilling new ease of control—its brilliant, ever- new V-8 fort—it is, s, President 1 1101 Kin, performance—and its luxurious com- by far, the finest LaSalle of all time! PITOL CADILLAC COMPANY 222 22nd St. N.W. Aero Auto Company, Inc. g St., Alexandria, Va.