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EVENING LEDGER-PHILADELPHIA; WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1917
"GAS" OUTLOOK
GOOD FOE 1917
FUTUREBETTER Dr. W. F. Rittman, Fuel
Expert,' Sees No Need
of Worry
SOLUTION: "CRACK" OIL
FUTURE HOLDS
GOLDEN EPOCH
FOR MOTORCAR
Marine Auto, Inclosed Mech
anism and Powerful En
gines, Predicts Metz
4300 CARS MADE A DAY
METZ'S MARINE MOTORCAR, WHICH WE MAY LIVE TO SEE
Gnsolino Price in East to Range J
Forecasts 24-Vnlve "Six" This
Year U. S. Motor Vehicle
Center
,-Hotweoti '25 and 2?
Gents
1 ' -&Bm&&w--
Mctz'a View and Review
of Trends in Motorcars
THE PAST
PRODIGIOUS growth of industry
shown by statistics G0OO cars in
1900; in 1S1C, 1,305,000 cars, worth
?1,100,000,000.
THE PRESENT
Manufacturers nro building this
year 1,690,291 cars, worth $1,200,
000,000, and $luM,500,000 worth of
tires and accessories. About -1300
cars are being produced each work
ing day. There aro 3,250,000 cars in
use. Lighter, smaller units and
higher speed aro being developed.
Eight and twelve cylinder cars aro
Increasing, with four-cylinder cars
predominating. The sixteen-valve
four-cylinder car has appeared. All
year motoring is growing because of
semiclosed body trend and electric
lighting and starting systems nnd
heating devices.
THE FUTURE
"Saturation point" is far distant.
American makers must meet world
demand. Twcnty-four-valvc six-cylinder
cars will appear this year.
Radical changes will take place in
body design, seating arrangement
and, most important of all, mechani
cal arrangement. Ten years hence
motorcars will be small; extremely
powerful; kerosene-driven; equipped
with electric brakes and transmis
sions, perfect tires and inclosed
springs, wheels and axles, and of
mechanism so accessible that owner
can make repairs. Aquatic automo
biles, equipped with propellers, will
swim rivers.
By ALBERT G. METZ
Jitslstant Managing Vdltor Automobile Trade
Journal
When ono glances back Into the "dark
ages" of tho automobile Industry In thin
country, somo eighteen or twenty years
go, nnd compares tho production ot oars
In those days with present production tig
Urea, one Is nstonlshed at the tremendous
growth of this yet-young Industry In tho
year 1900 tho total output of nil makers
for the year was somewhat like 0000 cars,
a. sum fading Into Insignificance when placed
Bide by side with tho production Ilgures of
the year Just closed. Miilch reached tho
grand total of 1,305,000 pleasure cars Con
sidering 300 working days, the ncrnge
output at the present time is virtually 1300
cars per day. And when one takes Into
consideration tho prosperous condition of
the country, an output of nearly 2, 000, 000
cars for tho yeur 1017 will asjuredly bo
realized.
1017 OUTPUT
In an article published In tho December
Issue of the Automobile Trado Journal the
production of pleasure cars for the year
1317 la estimated at 1.GD0.2S1. This num
ber Is not a mere guess, but tho results of a
careful compilation of Ilgures gricn out
by the active manufacturers of pleasuro
cars at tho present time. In many instances
the figures supplied are discounted, for tho
reason that many new makers aro prono to
overestimate their output, cither as tho ro
eult of too much optimism or from lack of
knowledge as to the capabilities of their fac
tories. With tho dllllculty encountered at tho
present time to obtain material, many
mnkera will find themseUes hard pressed
and will have to curtail their output ac
cordingly However. If tho figures of tho
makers were actually used, tho output
would exceed the two-tnllllon mark.
From 1012. when 275,000 cars worth
$476,000,000 were produced, until tho end
of 1016, tho motorcar Industry grew at si
prodigious rate. I-ist year 1,305,000 cars,
worth $1,100,000 000, were produced This
year, according to tho plans of the manu
facturers, 1.690,291 cars, representing a
total alue of $1,200,000,000, will be put uti
the market.
$1,200,000,000 l.V CAltS!
Just think nf it! Ono billion, two hun
dred million dollars' worth of automobiles
are to be built this year And thews figures
will more than likely be exceeded than not
reached It Is hard to realize the greatness
of this Industry: even thoso Intimately ac
quainted with the business fall to grabp
the enormity of It. The average price per
car has steadily decreased. een though the
r.iajority ot manufacturers have Increased
prices since laBt year This reduction is due
almost wholly to tho reductions made In
price by two big quantity manufacturers
The average price would naturally be
higher were not the outputs of these (man.
tlty producers included. The average
pleasure c4r In 1912 cost something like
$1270. This year tho aerage price la about
$710.
These figures take Into consideration only
one factor the output of complete ma
chines. How about tho kindred Industries
hat contribute their share to this greatest
of all American Industrie, the manufac
turers of tlrea, accessortea, bodies, tops, up.
holstery. etc. Just Imagine the business
these concerns do. Jet alone the garages,
repair shops, service stations and the retail
sales concerns.
$16.500.000 FOR EXTRAS
At a low average. It Is estimated that
about $35 Is spent for additional accessories
per car durlnp the first year of Its existence.
In many cars very little is found wanting;
lu the line of accessories, but such parts as
bumpers, special Jacks, tire chains, seat
covert, eta, are usually purchased In addi
tion to the regular equipment, A number
of the 1917 cars are fitted with bumpers,
apot lights and such parts as were formerly
regarded as unnecessary.
Therefore, considering $35 as a fair esti
mate, and multiplying the same by the num
ber of cars to be built for WIT. we get the
sum of $59,500,000 for accessories alone.
This does not Include replacements or re
pair parts. Now add to this sum the low
estimate of $60 per car for a set of tlrea
and we gat a few additional millions
$105,009,000. And so one could kep on
piling up the millions.
"SATURATION" NOT NEAR
These figures naturally astound the lay
man, who has no conception of the Immense
business dujn) lit this industry The question
naturally Is asked. When will this Increase
In production cease T Will It be one year,
two years, live or Unt Certainly not within
the next Ave years. Even though the war
should terminate tomorrow, the result would
be tba same. Europe will need plenty of the
lawsr-pnced cars- And It will be up to
American manufacturers to produce them,
tLci is. it Uw are 'on Die job"
Wtth many lasSBrtas now way betuad In
gssAvUun aghadiife due to eiujrtiigu io
A UTOMO BILES ON EXHIBITION
Car, Space nnd Exhibitor.
Allen, 15, Eastern Motors Co.
Apperson, 55, Fiat Motor Co.
Auburn, G-l, Tho Stewart Auto Co.
Dell, 13. W. W. Gawthrop.
Diddle, 3, Diddle Motor Car Co.
Briscoe. 52. W. Clarke Gricli.
Buick, 24. Dtiick Motor Co.
Cadillac, 17 and 19, Automobile Sales
Corp.
Chalmers, 33, Chalmers Motor Co. of
Philadelphia.
Chandler, 22, Herbert-Cook Co.
Chevrolet, 20 and 21, Chevrolet Motor
Company.
Cole, 31, L. S. Bowers Co.
Detroit Electric, 11, S. A. Tolmnu.
Dodge, 39, Thornton-Fuller Auto Co.
Dorris, specinl space in far right
hand corner, .1. II. Schumnker & Co.
Empire. 35, Bell Motor Co.
Fiat, 43, Fiat Motor Co.
Franklin, 30, Sweeten Auto Co.
Grant, 34, L. S. Bowers Co.
Hal, CO, Stratford Motors Co.
Haynes, 59, Johnson Motor Cat Co.
Hudson, 58, Gomery-Schwartz Motor
Car Co.
Hupmobile, 5, Hupmobile Sales Corp.
Jackson, 19, Stoever-IIannold Motor
Company.
JclTery, 1, Hurley & Earley.
Jordan, 6, McCurdy-Brainard Co.
King, 41 and 50, King Car, Philadel
phia Agency.
Lexington, 53, Rogers, Lexington Co.
Liberty, 48, Richwine-Haines Co.
Locomobile, 10, Locomobile Co. of
America.
McFnrland. 35. Bell Motor Co.
Mnrmon, 40, Fanning-Mathis Co.
Maxwell, (JO, Maxwell Motor Sales
Corporation.
Mercer, 05, Mercer Co. of Philadelphia.
Cnr, Space and Exhibitor.
Metz, 57, Metz Co.
Milburn Electric, 18, Detroit Electric
Company.
Mitchell, 00, Carl II. Pago Motor Co.
Mollno- Knight, 12, Mollnc - Knight
Sales Co.
Monroe, 40, Monroe Motors Co.
National, 8, Hurley & Earley.
Oakland, 32, Oaklnnd Motor Co.
01d3mobilo. 23. Oldsmobilo Co.
Overlnnd, !) and 27, Overland Motor j
uompnny.
Packard, 42 nnd 54, Packard Motor
Car Co.
Paige, 1, Bigelow-Willcy Motor Co.
Pathfinder, 03, Hetherington Motor
Company.
Poorloss, 20, Girard Auto Co.
Pierco-Arrow, 41, Foss-llughes Co.
Pullman, 45, Standard Motor Car Co.
R. & L. Electric, 4, Baker R. & L.
Motor Car Co.
Reo, 30, B. L. P. Motor Co.
Saxon, 02, Orin S. Wilson.
Simplex, 51, Thornton-Fuller Auto
Company.
Standard, 15, Eastern Motors Co.
Stanley, 47, Stanley Motor Carriage
Company.
Stearns, 10, William C. Yerkes Co.
Studebaker, 37, Studebakcr Corp. of
America.
Studebaker, 49, Phila. Sales Corp.
Stutz, 31, S. R. Blocksom Motor Co.
Velie, 38, La Roche Bros.
Westcott, 01, Baker-Price Co.
White, 25, Whilo Co.
Winton, 14, Winton Motor Co.
Winton, 20, Winton Co.
TWO BILLION DOLLARS
IS AUTO BILL FOR 1916
4
LJncle Sam Spent Fortune of
Fortunes for Motorcars
and Operation
The country's automobile bill for both
business and pleasure during 1916 reaches
u staggering total, a sum no huge that ono
can scarce believe It until he goes over
tho figures for himself.
Tho amount Is $2,000,000,000 In round
numbers. It Is obtained by nddlng to tho
valuo of the new cars purchased the cost
of operating tho 3,000,000 cars In iibo,
during tho year. If presented, the national
motoring bill would read something like
this:
TO U.WI.U HAM. nil.
l.r.no. oon. ooo KniioiiH Kdoiinu
20 cents
:ui. ono. ooo imllonn lubricating oil..
18.00(1.000 tires W !(!
AirPHsorlt-s and uulo comforts &
SSo u car
UepulrH due to unr and tear (not
including Ureal ?d $.10 a car....
OaraBo charges ff $lul u car
Total operutlnic expennea. .
1,00(1,111)0 new tars at o00.
J.inn.ono.non
I'.'.OOO.OUO
2tiS,UU(l,U((
150.000.(100
1.-0,111 10,1100
IIOll.lllMl.OOII
Jl.'jno. (loii.ooi)
Mlll.lMMI.IltlO
Crund total ts.ouo.noo.nixi
This bill undoubtedly would btagger
Uncle Sam wero ho not so prospeious.
They Hearken to Farmer
SPOKAN'i;, Wash., Jan. 17 Promoters
nf tho third annual Spokane nutoiuobllo
show plan to hold tho exhibition next
month Int tend of on the customary Jlay
date becauso of tho Inability (if the fanner
to attend in tho spring mouth. Mny is tho
busiest time of the year for the farmer,
excepting the harest, and piovlous bhows,
held In May, hao been characterized by
poor attendance from tho agricultural dis
tricts. "Wo must rater to tho farmer." Is
tho gonernl opinion among dealers Homo
autnmohtlo men declared that they would
rather hao no show nt all than stage It
again In May.
"AUTO HUNGER" GRIPS
CITY AT ANNUAL FEAST
Buyer and "Catalogue Fiend"
Alike Satisfy Apctite for
Motorcars and Speed
IIao you tho automobllo hunger?
That Is, have you an Indescribable craving
to koo automobiles, feel automobiles, talk
automobiles, think automobiles, dream auto
mobiles? If so, you belong to ono of two classes.
Unless you never hopo Homo day boinowhero
to own :i motorcar ou are either:
First. A person who uses tho hunger as
a scanning for tho food tho niitotnMlo
hn Is going to buy; or
Second. A person whoso nppetlto cannot
bo sated and who, brutally and frankly
speaking. Is a "catalogue Mend."
Theso nro tho classes Into which tho auto-
mobllu salesmen have divided those who
hunger after Hip motorcar. Thoy know.
Tho man who really Intends to buy a car
Ii "spotted" by his unassuming manner
and his jetlcenee about bursting Into (ties
tlona and announcing that ho Intends to
buy. In like manner Is "spoiled" the man
who continually tickles his motorcar palate
with automobile catalogs and Interviews
with KilOFmen. Ho rarely purchases a car,
nltliough ho announces his Intention to
Imest oftener than tho average man swears
off smoking December 31. '
The autumobtle hunger that impels both
these insn arises from u subconscious de
slro to cunrpier the limitations which na
ture has placed on the human race's prlml.
tlo menus of locomotion It has been de
scribed as a deep-seated Instinct, nn in
herent ctaving for speed, made possible by
the motorcar.
Whatever this nppetlto Is, Its widespread
extent is evldenred liy tho crows that
throng the exhibition building at this year's
automobile show. A realization that tho
automobile will satisfy tho imperious dic
tates of this iiihtmet has resulted in larger
crowds than ever at the animal mototcar
display.
SIXTEEN TYPES OF MOTORCAR BODIES
GROUPED INTO FOUR BIG CLASSES
rpHE bewildering outlny of automobiles at tho show will puzzle tho uninitiated
J- unless he remember that there are four general clashes of car bodies,
which aro divided into sixteen types. In the words of tho Society of Auto
mobile Engineers they are:
ROADSTERS AND COUPES
First. Roadster An open car seating two or three. It may have atltli.
tional seats on the running board or in the rear deck.
Second. Coupelet Seats two or three. It has a folding top and fulW
height doors with disappearing panels of glass.
Third. Coupe An inside inclosed car seating two or three, A fourth
seat looking backward is sometimes added.
Fourth. Convertible coupe A roadster provided with detachable coupe
top.
Fifth. Clover Leaf An open car seating three or four. The rear seat
is close to tho divided front seat and the entrance is only through doors in
front of the front seat.
TOURING CARS
Sixth. Touring Car An open car seating four or more with direct
entrance to tonneau and undivided front scat.
Seventh. Salon Touring Car A touring car with passage between tho
two front seats, with or without separate entrance to front seats,
Eighth. Convertible Touring Car A touring car with folding top and
disappearing or removable glass sides. This type is less frequently seen than
others in tne list.
SEDANS
Ninth. Sedan A closed car seating four or more, all in one com
partment. Tenth,- Convertible Sedan A salon touring car provided with a de
tachable sedan top.
Eleventh. Open Sedan A sedan so constructed that the sides can be
removed or stowed so as to leave the entire space clear from glass front;'
to back,
LIMOUSINES
Twelfth. Limousines A closed car seating three to five inside, wjth
driver's seat outside covered with roof.
Thirteenth. Open Limousine A touring car with permanent standing
top and disappearing or removable glass sides. May or may not have a
partition between the driver and the passengers.
Fourteenth. Berline A limousine having the driver's seat entirely in
closed. Fifteenth. Landaulet A closed car with folding top, with seats for
three or more inside and the driver's seat outside.
sixteenth, isrjpgham A, iunousme with no roof over the driver's seat.
i lie iiui-ili .ml I in nro will eviiUc an -uutnmoiiile that will not need bridges to cross stieatn, according to
Albert (i. Met". Swimming motor vehicles will be the logical result of inclosing tho under side of car bodies
to protect the mechanism from dust and grit, ho believes, tho next step being shaping tho body like a boat
and adding a propeller nnd rudder.
Tftto It mi rjtrliuliY! ii(rii,r ,, ,tk 'nr
miller ', Hlllmmi. nf ;VMfcwri. iwrntar
11 IJlO ffifllHM CrmA.ll!,) Ilmnn nn,i cf
fUlllntr rhrmtral rnulmn nf n,. r tiffed
Slntcs llnrran nf ,1Mit. n Imv , in,r attaU.
yah nf thr gasoline stttmtlnn nmt irr01i
cntrcrt tlcttncltont mttkr hit tin,, anthorl,
tnlive Oi 1ig Iilglic.it ilrnrrr
Tho niolor fuel problem r,r ti,o tutut. .
becomo Important throuRh tho otmosl ab
normal growth oC tho nutomnM'n Industry,
and a threatened BhortaRo of gasoline, hai
a Holutlon.
This asTOraneo cornea from Tr "Walter
P. lllttmani conaultlns chemical engineer
of tho Ilurcau of Minns It ithnuld dlsM
whatever anxiety unsalls tho rrmUrr of mo
torcars, with his InvcBted minima nd th
motomtr usor, who haB come to depend
upon the automobllo an never before, fof
Hortnr rilttmnn Is the chemlFt who nearly
a ear ago. when Ranollno prlcen threatened
to Jinn" to prohibitive heights r.iw relief
In slRnt, ami, In the far, ..f tho mort
Bloomy prospects, predicted the "break"
that r.ime.
With tho New Year, In splto of the un
nticntlnnalily Iiuro output of automobiles
that the fuluro holds In stoio, Dortor Illtt-
C'mitlminl on Pace r,leen. Column Tiro
CITY'S AUTO SALES
TOTAL $43,009,000
GIS.SGO Pleasure Cars to Be Sold
This Year 50 Per Cent
Increase
SIGN OF PROSPERITY
Philadelphia sales of motorcars for lOIfi
doubled those of tho preccdlni; sear and
advanced beyond tho JlO.OOO.OOO-niarle.
All Increase of fifty per cent la anticipated
this year, tolIectlnB the prosperity of tho
city and tho section of tho country of which
It la tho center.
Thoso estimates uoio obtained fiom a
iliieatloualro submitted to sixty Philadel
phia dealers In pieman o cars, not ciulto half
of whom responded with IlKUfes bhowliic
their past business In the sales territory
revered by this city and imnouncltiir their
expectations for 11)17. To add thu clement
of cnuservatlbin, a deduction of ten per cent
was mado fiom the totals obtained.
I1.C50 CAltS soi.n
The estimates based on tho furnished
reports tdinw that tho sale of motorcars
tripled In tho half decado 1M0-15, doubled
111 lUlft and will add another half tills
year. A total of II. ODD pleasuro cms was
sold In PJlii for J 13,003.01! I. This year
03,,'lfin cars, alucd nt 505.0C0.2no. Is tho
pales outlook from tho point of low of tho
Quaker City manufacturer and distributor.
KolIowliK,- is Blven In couclso form tho
number and valuo of cars sold for boeral
past years and the 1517 outlook:
A TAI1M3 OP GROWTH
VliAH .NUMllllli VAtXTJ
min n.iao jii,7(ii,'jn.i
11115 'J-.',M.7 !)I,IHU,ISI
uiiii ii. (i.v. i:i,(hi;i.uiii
11)17 IIUIUI! Il.",,tl50.-'(iil
Tho average prlco of tho motorcar In this
city, It will bo seen from tho foroKoitiff, Is
increasing. This Is logical. Inasmuch as It
Is In tho center of concentrated population
that the high-priced cars nro sold, tho agri
cultural ciiiniiiuultlcH and distiicts whero
hlghwaa aio not highly developed proving
tho best market for tho medium and law
priced cars.
1917 PXtlCll 510.IS
Tho nverago price of tho Philadelphia nu
tomobllo for lOlfi was J1032, muiio 5300
greater than tho nverago price of tho auto
mobllo In tho country at large. NcNt year,
according to tho Indications furnished by
the dealers, tho avcrago prlco for tho city
will ho S103S.
'Minute Man
Town Car
ore power
on less gasoline
More power from less gasoline and more power than your car can possibly
use, because it is fully developed at ordinary speed. Stripped of technical
expression, this is what you get from the exclusive patented improvements that
place the Lexington a decade in advance of all other cars. Its refinements
alone mark flic Lexington the exceptional car; but with 22.8 more power,
its constant torque at low speed, and its decided fuel economy, it must be the
choice of any one who makes a thoughtful comparison.
Touring, $1185; Clubster, $1185; Sedan, $1350; Coupe, $1350
Wo Cordially Invite YOU to Examine These Models in Booth 5:1
at the Show.
THE ROGERS-LEXINGTON MOTOR CO.
Tt'lrp limit hprun VZUlt
mill lil)
202-204 North Broad Street
QurAutomobile SJjoiv
feg"-W'
innpFO
&LV13.
hi
CJj j-Ufer7 t
.Ttsag!?
. fitSEoMSiT'
mfimmmFiK
HlBff
IXJLEJLU
Q.utwa Jlutvmobiie Show ZO.eek'
atthe T3sellmtie:Sjratford&nd
stPsOurtSaibtv, there witlbem
view ome of JkeMuisite models,
of' Otwn Ittajnetio Ccutp
cyvw 9 am, until 70 pm,
heTloardjcffytxwsordiatty x
Wdr septend their JtwitatlonXo
he Tttotoruw, r$ublie
OWEN MAGNETIC
ca a or cwuiBitmu, ihc
1833 CHESTNUT T
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n
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