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About The Omaha morning bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 30, 1924)
k 1925 to Be Year of Many Mergers J P in Auto Industry fwo Important Consolidations Completed in Week; Bodv Builders Gain Power. By BOY C. HAYES, I'nlveraal Service Automobile Editor. Detroit, Nov. 27.—The automobile industry is entering a period of con solldntlon and concentration. Al though executive opinion along the row Is unanimous In pointing to 1!>25 ns a greater year than the industry has ever seen, it seems agreed that the coming year will see more changes in the physical structure of the in dustry and its units than any year to date. The trend of things at present is beginning to point to the truth of the prediction made last January by Oharles M. Schwab, steel king, at the Kf national automobile chamber of com merce dinner in New York during auto show week. Gathered around him on that occasion was every lead ing executive in the automobile busl ness, with the exception of Henry Ford. “In not many years from now the number of automobile manufacturing ' companies will be reduced to about JO,” he said. “These JO will be mak ing a total of about 15 different makes of cars. Public demand for better prices and the subsequent in tense competition among manufactur ers to supply this demand will (jause some of the weaker concerns to drop by the wayside and some of the bet ter known firms to get together.” Schwab indicated that greatly im proved purchasing power, unrivaled manufacturing facilities and splendid merchandising operations, which would result from these combines, would place the industry in position to make better automobiles at better prices. This would be accomplished with more profit to all concerned, he showed. With the failure of several smaller companies in the last 10 months and the ever-increasing prosperity of some of the larger corjxirations, the truth of Scwab's prediction becomes more visible. Just last week two impor tant mergers were brought about. One is in the accessory x field, and one in the body building field. One merger is that of the Bassick Alemtte ^•corporation with the Stewart-Warner M Speedometer corporation. W The other, consummated Monday, resulted in the formation of the Mur ray Body corporation, with a capital structure of $12,300,000 and the rival ing Fisher Body corporation for im portance in the Industry, The prin cipals Include the Murray Manufac turing company with body stamping plants In Elizabeth, N. J., I^inslng and Detroit: the Wilson Body com pany of Pontiac, Mich., the .jt (V Wid man company and the Towson Body company of Detroit. Among the customers of the new corporation will be Marmon, Packard, i Willys-Overland, Hupp, Paige, Jewett, Lincoln and a number of other lead ing companies. Shortly after the for mation of the new group, the Murray corporation received an order for $5, 000,000 worth of bodies from one auto manufacturer. Another merger in the body build ing field Is reported to be in the mak ing. It would concern the Fisher Body corporation. In addition are two mergers of manufacturing groups likely to be completed this -winter. Every important action of the in dustry of late tends toward the projected structure of fewer com panies and fewer makes of cars. One of the most potent forces In 4 bringing this about la the automobile ~ body situation. The automobile body builder today controls the automobile business. The outstanding note in automobile requirements today Is for a cheap closed car. The motoring public wants a closed car for all the family at a price that is close to the open car figure. This type of car is not only coming but is actually here. Four manufac turers are now building such a car. They are Hudson, Essex, Buick and Reo. Rickenbaeker is exj>ected to en ter this Held shortly, as is Flint and Studebaker.' Volume production, greater volume than we now have, will be necessary before the manufacturer can continue this pace. More than anything else, it is a body builder's problem. And since the recent merger there are only a half dozen body companies that are able to do quantity production business. That means that there will be about ■iz centers of power in the automo bile business next year. The coming year will be the biggest year on record for the automobile In dustry and the first one in which the automobile body builder controlled the Industry. ADVEKTISEHK.S T. Do You Suffer From Back ache or Pain Over Kidney? Wonderful Relief la Here Told Cedar Rapids, Iowa—"I suffered a greet deal with pains across my back until I commenced taking Dr. 1‘lerce's Anurlc (kidney and backache) Tab lets, but now have very little to com plain of in the way of pains and aches. What Dr. Pierce's Anurlc Tablets did for me they will do for others If they will but give them a trial. This medicine Is worthy of the highest recommendation I can give It for kidney ailments snd hark ache.’1—Mrs. Reuben Splckler, 6'„'5 Gth Ave. Hast This antl-urlr arid remedy of Dr. Pierce's for backache and kidneys (called “An uric") Is new, but It rnn A !te had St your neighborhood drug H store, or send 10c for trial pkg to Dr. Pierce. Invalids' Hotel, Buffalo, N V., and write for free medical advice. ) KFAB, Nebraska Buick Company’s Raido, Ready Dec. 3 * KFAB, Nebraska Bulrk Auto com pany radio broadcasting station at Lincoln, will be formally opened on Thursday evening, December 4, and will be on the air on opening night from 7:30 p. m. to 3 a. m. Thirty artists will be on the program that evening. "C. A. Entrekin, president of the Entrekin Electric company of Colum bus, O., has had charge of the in stallation. Entrekin has erected a * ■% ■ ... .. ....__iiassks number of large broadcasting stations and will leave Lincoln after opening night to install a new station at San Antonio, Tex. Gayle Grubb of Lincoln will be the regular announcer and director. Mr. Grubb is an accomplished musician and a former student of the Univer sity of Nebraska and was director of the Southern Rnga-Jazz orchestra which toured Europe two years ago. Programs will, he broadcast regular ly on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights. On Sunday mornings church programs will be broadcast by means of remote con trol. H. E. Sidles, president and general manager of the Nebraska Bulck Auto company', says this station has been erected for the benefit of radio fans in this territory', as well as from coast to coast, and will at all times en deavor to render programs of the highest class. I Maxwell Scores in Newest Model Reception Accorded It Equal? Chrysler’?, Say Official?. Officials of the Maxwell Motor cor poration declare that the nationwide reception accorded Walter P. Chry sler’s latest creation, the new Max well, Is the greatest and most enthu siastic ever given a Maxwell product. It is even more enthusiastic than the receptl9n given the first Chrysler Maxwell three years ago. "The tremendous and outspoken en thusiasm with which the public has greeted the new Maxwell permits us to arrive at but one conclusion," J.E. Fields, vite president In charge of sales, says, "and that Is that the new car Is making just as profound a sen sation as did the Chrysler itself. "Our engineers and manufacturing executives say that this new car rep resents just as outstanding icccim pllshments In the field of fours as does the Chrysler In that of sixes. "This Is the Maxwell that we have been building toward ever since we began to plan the Chrysler. It Is the car that Maxwell-Chrysler engineers , have been concentrating upon ever since they completed designing the Chrysler Six nearly two years ago.” “FREE SERVICE” FOUND COSTLY There is a certain magnetism In the word "free.” and a natural, hu man gravitation in the direction of anything that appears to be free, but in spite of this it is not difficult to convince the average automobile buy er that paid service is usually prefer able to so-called "free” service, ac cording to Mr Davis of the O’Brien Davis Co , local Dodge Brothers deal ers, "Doubtless we are helped material ly," he added, "by the fact that Dodge Brothers have publicly announced re peatedly that they do not believe in so-called ’free’ service. It Is not sim ply a local policy of our own, but a principle laid down by headquarters and adhered to, I believe, bv every dealer In the United States. The pub lie has learned that Dodge Brothers conduct their business along sound lines and that anything they do bene fits th» purchaser as much as It does the factory." DODGE EXECUTIVE WITH OAKLAND C. W. Matheson, vlca president and director of sales of tha Oakland Motor Car company, announces the appointment of Hugh Hlgglnbottom as district manager for Oakland In the Seattle territory. Hlgglnbottom has been connected with the sales organization of Dodge Brothers for 14 years. He returns to a territory of which he has Intimate sales knowledge, as he was district representative for Itodge Brothers in this section fcfr three years. His headquarters for Oakland will be In Seattle, and his territory will Include Oregon, Wash lngton and part of Idaho. During the last year and a half Hlgglnbottom has been assistant to sales executives at the Dodge Brothers home office In Detroit. He o'rganlzed the traffic department for hts company In 1915 and was man ager of It for a number of years. During his recent years at the home offices he made frequent trips about the country, working with Dodge Brothers district managers and field representatives. Bee Wan* Ads Produce Results 015 Miles hike Gallon _ 58 Miles per Hour $15*25 Miles « 8 Seconds^! Driving the new good Max' well yourself, it will not take you a half hour to discover , how wonderfully Chrysler TmiHnf car, ts9$i engineers have carried out soon t ourinf, their conception of superior m»”cfour*cylinder performance. 410i5,ClafcS«U». , . . 4io95i atdmn. ihis group of men, who by koio'/u dieir unexampled adhieve ntbltct t. carriat ■•••ramtaljaa. ment with the six-cyiinder Chrysler, have won the tribute of an industry, have now developed in the good Maxwell a new degree of four'Cylinder power, speed ' and flexibility, and vibration* less operation which even surpass these already well* known Maxwell qualities. Andrew Murphy & Son, Inc. 14th and Jackson Here 35 Years TtheNew Good, MAXWELL «• I Ill S. Autos Lead European, States Studebaker Head Executive Impressed, How ever, by London and Paris Motor Show’s; Finds Their Problems Differ. Two of the world's greatest auto tnohlle shows were held in October at the Grand Palais. Parla, and Olympia, London. TTie number of firma exhibiting at both showa ex ceeded considerably the number which exhibit at the annual shows in Chicago and New York, but the character and quality of their auto mobiles, bodies, parts, and accessories were not superior to the American make, according* to A. R. Erskine, Studebaker president, who Just re turned from Europe. Different conditions In Europe and the United States explain the numer ical superiority of the foreign shows. With the exception of two or three manufartora In both France and England, all producers of motor cars are assemblers who purchase their bodies and parts from different makers of auch things, and conse quently, thebe are a host of such makers competing for this business. The ownership and operation of foundries, forge shops, stamping plants, and body factories by car producers Is quite limited. Numerous manufacturers sell more chassis than they do complete cars, and retail buyers purchase their bod ies from the body makers direct. Then again, the Paris and London shows contain many oars of foreign make, whereas our New Tork and fhicago shows only cars produced In the United States. 122 Makes Exlilbifed At the Grand Palais, a commo dious, beautiful building, 122 different makes of motor cars were on ex hibltion, including 87 French, lb Italian, 12 American, 8 Belgian, and five British makes. Olympia had 134, including 75 Eng lish, 22 American, 22 French, 10 Italian, and five Belgian makes. At Paris, 53 makers of commercial vehicles and trucks, 78 different makers of bodies, 128 motorcycle and bicycle manufacturers, and over 3,000 makers of ports anil accessories exhibited their products. About the same number of Himilar manufac turers were present at London. The number of body, motorcycle, bicycle and parts and accessory manufacturers In the United States is much smaller than In either France or England, and of these, only parts and accessory manufar Hirers are permitted to exhibit at our national shows. Our motor car com panies are furthermore, real menu faeturers to a greater degree than in any other country. The attendance at both Paris and London was enormous. People from all over the world attended the Paris j show, and London had numerous foreign visitors. It was estimated that mort than ion,non people visit ed the Grand Palais on each of the two Sundays upon which the* show was <*ien, and 700.000 during the 11 days it continued. The same Interest prevailed In England, Such attend ance proves that' public interest in motor cars is as keen in Europe as it is with us. Both shows were an unqualified success from every stand point. Small Tars Built Another marked difference be tween the antomobile industry in Europe and America is in the size of cars produced. Perhaps three fourths of all European makers produce small cars. Many of thfcse cars are of short wheelbase and of treads as narrow as 45 inches, against the American standard of 55 inches. Small tires and low road clearance are common, as are open cars seat ing two and three people, with quite flimsy tops. Small bore motors with high com pression, under speeds of from 3,000 to 4,000 r. p. in. prevail. Owners are accustomed to climbing hills In second gear which American cars breeze over in high. Andre Citroen, the Henry Ford of France, has five plants in Paris which are now producing 300 cars a day and are being enlarged to pro duce 500 per day. lie is producing over half the cars sold in France. His product consists of a five II P car, the three-seater of which sells for 11.800 francs, and a 10 H. P. priced at 15,500 francs. He will sell perhaps 50,000 cars this year. Re nault ranks next, with an output of about 35,000. The total French out put will approximate 100.000 cars. CADILLAC REPAIR SHOP IS NOW OPEN The J. H. Hansen Cadillac company is now in position tn take care of repair work on cars other than Cadillac. Mr. Alexander, better known as "Si,” who is in charge of the service department and who had an unlim ited experience in the repairing of automobiles, will personally supervise all repair work ;«« he has always done on Cadillacs*. The Cadillac repair shop is one of ;he most completely equipped in this locality and the mechanics employed, ‘••ome of them factory trained, arc masters in their line. This repair shop is always open for inspection and any one desirous of going through it I«* invited to do so. I Hudson-Essex Again Reduce Coach Prices < lo*rd Car* Now Listed Bp low Opon On?*; Popular ity of Models Given a* Reason. l Coach prices are definitely fixed at less than those of open cara in the reduction on all enclosed cara an nounced by the Hugaun Wblor Car company. Ttya-'stage for this move was set nvfnths ago, when th$ Hud son **o?fch was offered at exactly the same cost as the Hudson open cars. This move was considered a sensa tion in the industry. The proportion of enclosed cars in the Hudson busi ness, already high, reach new' marks. As the volume of coach business increased further a reduction was possible which brought the Hudson coach- actually below’ the open cars in cost/ Now has come the move which brings the price of both Hud son and Kssex cars below those of open cars, and far below any previ ous standard of enclosed car prices in the automobile industry. “This surprising and even astonish ing price move " said R. H. Davisson, Hudson Kssex distributor, “bears out tiie prediction that enclosed cars are to he the standard style and that touring cars are luxuries. Naturally the coach and the coach buyer are entitled to the volume of price. “I have known of many price changes in the industry, but none which mused more genuine surprise than this one. It dropped like a bomb along automobile row. It is a matter ql fact that Hudson-Essex sales are at the very height of activity, and that the factory has enjoyed sucres sively the largest September, October and November it has ever known. “Price cuts are usually made to stimulate business, but this was a business that needed no stimulation. It is simply along the line of giving! Hudson and Essex buyers every pos j cible economy due to the fast increas irig volume of business. ‘ There was a sharp and immediate response in our own business. The public came right in ready to buy. We ere in constant touch with the factory, and hope to continue in our ability to make prompt deliveries' “Fully as sensational as the drop ir c*o«rh prices was the $350 reduc tion on the Hudson sedan*. Here, again, Hudson is offering enclosed cars at a price which never yet has 1 een seriously rivaled in the indus try/* Re* Want Ads are the best bus! *n*s* booster*. INTEREST SHOWN IN NEW REO SEDAN J. M. Opper of the J. M. Opper Motor company reports that tha pub llo enthusiastically approved tha new Reo eedan which was announced Iasi week to sell at a price of an open car. This new sedan la a full, four door, enclosed car, embodying all the e* eentlal features that have eo popu larized tb* Reo oars. Introduction of thla model, Mr. Opper eaya. Is In reality, Reo a manner of celebrating Its 20th anniversary. Without d* elding to give something vary much out of the ordinary as an expression of appreciation for the confidence and prestige enjoyed for a score of years, the Iteo Motor Car company could never have offered a Reo encldSe-i car at such a ftice. Genuine balloon tires and Slav wheels are standard on thla modal. MANY CHRYSLERS IN MURPHY STORE I,arge shipments of Maxwell Chrys ler cars have been coming in this w'eek to Andrew Murphy & Son, thi new distributor for this territory. "We now have a complete stock of all models on hand and have during the past week made a number of de liveries to country dealers,” said Mr. Murphy. "Business in the terrltor> Is going along fine and Indications are for a very good winter trade.” MlVI.l: llsHttAT. A Baby In Yonr Hone wsus? a* cost to rbitdlsos wornsn. Any frally Intsrmtsrt in overcoming conditions of aoturo tkni tladvr tbo gift of children shoo 14 writ* for this frss book today, li dssenbes o A reels horns treat ment hosed on th* us* of Stmitoo*. • wonder - ful scientific tonic that hss had marvoiou* sne "■•« all over tbs country la rsMsvlAg eonstita tions? weakness. K*try woman who wants to Moo a sonul. hsppy horn* )if* with llttls oaso around kvr should consider It hsr first doty ts know wfcai Hterilton* Is sod whv It should bo B* woodsrfal an aid rn hsr Read this little bosk wbleh Is s-nt without chars* or obligation to a plain so ml ops. it unfolds facts that moot *oo«r ner«r bam bad ”T?!a!a*d to then Rood VO Money. NO Ob) if at ^n* 81 natty a«JBM and ad <"*« to TV IT. trill Bdsro. MM Bal.ingsr Bldg.. Bt Joseph. Mi With passing months, Oakland owners realize more and more that the Oakland Six is not merely as good a car as they had expected, but much better. Features of standard equipment that are winning and holding good will Q Four-wheel brakes, disc steel wheels, balloon tirej, permanent top, Fisher Bodies, one-piece V. V. windshield on closed types, Duco finish, centralized controls, indirectly lighted instrument panel, automatic spark control. Q (Jlass enclosures for operx cars at small added cost. Roadster *1095; Touring *1095; Special Roadster *1195; Special Touring *1195; Coaih *1215; Landau Couf>e *1295; Coupe for Four *1495; Sedan *1545; Landau Sedan *lt>4 5. At Factory. I 6akland motor car co. 20th and Harney Streets \ i i 4 OAKLAND < PRODUCT OF GENERAL MOTORS 1L_ i i i