1 N
AUTOMOBILE FIELD
NOT HALF FILLED
MEMBERS OF NICHOLS-RICE
MOTOR COMPANY.
Overproduction Not Likely for
'., Many Years, Even at the
t Present Prices.
HIE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: FEBRUARY 25. 1017.
THREE MILLION IN USE NOW
So much has been written relative
to the development of the motor car
industry and so many prophecies
have been ventured without proper
consideration of vital and controlling
factors that a clear and simple analy
sis of the subiect may serve to dissi
pate much of the unfounded con
jecture. The automobile market is divided
into two broad fields. First, the rural
class, which includes all persons en
gaged in farming and others in va
rious businesses who live in towns of
less than 500 population. Second,
the urban class, which comprises all
people in any but farming pursuits,
who live in "towns of 500 or more
population.
In the rural or farming market
there arc 6,500,000 families. One mil
lion of these now own motor cars
and 1,500.000 are poor, illiterate, or
negroes, who for the purpose of this
study may be excluded trom me
prospective buying class. There re
main, then, 4.000,000 farm families
who are possible automobile buyers.
Big Field for Salesmen.
In the urban class, covered by
11.000 towns and cities of more than
500 population, there are about 5.000,
000 home owners, of which number
only 2.000,000 now own cars. Ac
cordingly, there remain 3,00tl,000
prospective buyers in this class, or a
total actual unsold market, in both
rural and urban classes, of 7,000,000
possible automobile buyers.
The accepted average life of an au
tomobile is about five years in the
hands of the original owners; and as
the man who once owns a car will
not thereafter be without one. we
must include the reorder market,
which in the calendar year of 1917
will be about 600.000. this being 20
per cent of the 3.000.000 now in use.
For the year 1I7, therefore the
automobile business will (ace a
market of about 7,600.000 possible
buyers. Not more than 1,600,000 cars
yi ill be built in the coming year, leav
ing a nossiblc excess market of
6.000,000 buyers at the beginning of
1918.
These figures are decidedly con
servative because they take no con
sideration of (1) any export outlet,
(2) the people who have or will have
two or more machines, (3) increased
population, (4) increased prosperity,
(5) a million or more town and city
families who do not own the homes
in which they live, but are well able
(o buy and maintain a motor car. (6)
the business houses, retail and whole
sale merchants who use thousands of
roadsters . for salesmen, and many
thousands more of delivery cars
(regular automobile chassis with
commercial body), (7) taxicabs and
other cars for public hire.
An Important Fact. '
An important and noteworthy fact
is vouched for by the editorial depart
ment ot Automobile topics, a well
known trade authority, which has
been making a careful analysis of the
comparative nature of automobile
service. They state that of the 3,000,
uuu motor cars ot all kinds in service
in the United States today, they can
conservatively say trom their investi
gation that over one-half of the mile
age of the 3,000,000 cars is used for
business purposes. Literally this
means that of the 3.000.000 automo
biles running in this country todav,
one-half, or 1,500,000, are used for
business numoses. This leaves nnlv
1.500,000 in use for pleasure or social
transportation purposes.
In considering the 1,500,000 autom-
biles in use today which may legit
imately De classed as "pleasure cars,"
j an important fact should be borne in
V mind, namely: the so-called pleasure
car of today has a distinct economic
use, it being only reasonable to de
duce that the time and money spent
in motoring tor pleasure or social in
tercourse almost invariably takes the
piace oi some otner lorm ot expendi
ture of less actual economic vain
Motoring is a pleasure that makes for
broader vision, saner and more help-
iui inversions, and a more svmDa-
thetic social life. A nation without
us sane pleasures is hopeless. There
fore, it is far from logical to consider
the so-called pleasure car of today as
an added luxury.
Room for Much Development.
If production increases at the aver
age rate maintained for the last five
years which is unlikely, due to great
er manufacturing problems and to in
ability of the selling and distributive
branches to keen oace with ermtlv
augmented manufacturing volume
ine point oi saturation will not be
reached for five or six or even seven
years. And some of the leaders in the
industry predict that it will be a mat
ter of ten or twelve years.
All signs point to a continued de
velopment for several years to come
for just how long it! js difficult to say,
put, as in many other new fields, lim
itations and curtailment of expansion,
arbitrarily predicted, are merely evi
dence of a shortened vision or unfa
miltarity with all of the facts.
It is true that materials and labor
are more expensive and increasingly
hard to secure. This condition is not
serious, nor is it likely to be. The
makers of medium and high-priced
cars overcomes the difficulty by
an advance in their selling prices.
The maunfacturers of low-priced
cars build in much greater quantities,
are protected by contracts until the
end of the automobile year, July, 1917,
and are able to absorbvadditional ex
pense by spreading it out over a great
number of units and by increasing
their manufacturing efficiency.
Marmon Has Device for
Controlling Temperature
A feature of the Marmon 34 for
1917 is a device for controlling the
icuipciauirc oi ine water circulating
system an important factor if maxi
mum performance and economy are
to be achieved. The thermostat used
is a simple device which automatically
provides a minimum water tempera
ture of 125 degrees, Fahrenheit, at
all times when the engine is running.
The cooling capacity of the radiator,
which comes into full play when the
water temperature reaches 175 de
grees, is sufficient to prevent a higher
temperature even under very severe
conditions .
Super-Six Mulford the
Year's Victor With Hudson
The public is always interested in
a victor, and the Hudson has been in
the limelight of victorious perfor
mance all through 1916.
Ralph Mulford, at the wheel of the
Hudson Super-Six, has done much to
popularize the car. The daring driv
er has piloted it in many feats of
power and endurance which are des
tined to stand for some time to come.
Mulford has thus become identified
with the Hudson Super-Six in the
public mind. Me knows the Hudson
Super-Six through and through and
has been able to get every ounce of
power and speed out of it. His en-'
thusiasm over the Super-Six, with
which he has shared in so many bril
liant performances, is unbounded.
While Mulford was not entered in
many races during the last year, he
enjoys the distinction of having driv
en the Super-Six in the world's en
durance record. He drove the car
1,819 miles in twenty-four hours,
which beat all previous endurance
records by 52 per cent.
Elgin Motor Factory
Facilities to Be Trebled
Plans are now being prepared to
erect an additional factory building
for the plant of the Elgin Motor Car
corporation at Sixty-first street and
Archer avenue, Chicago, which will
give the company three times the fac
tory space it now has and provide for
the annual output of 20,000 to 25,000
cars.
In view of the fact that the Elgin
corporation has only been manufac
turing cars about one year and is now
working on an output of 7,500 cars
for the current year, its progress has
probably been more rapid than that
of any other company in the history
of motordom. This, in the opinion of
the motor authorities, is due to the
unusually capable . staff of veteran
automobile men at the head of each
department of the company s business.
1 he hlgin operating force has been
drawn from such well known com
panies as Pierce-Arrow, Chandler,
Saxon. Federal and others of equal
renown.
University Uses Marathon
In Engineering Course
G. W. Hobbs, professor of auto
mobile engineering at the University
of Wisconsin, said recently:
That the automobile industry oc
cupies a prominent place among the
industries ot the country is shown Dy
the fact that several of our leading
universities have inaugurated courses
automobile engineering. J. he
course is as practical as possible and
covers every phase of the automobile
industry, including the tire, and ac
tual demonstrations are given in
which only parts and accessories of
recognized quality are used.
An idea ot the thoroughness with
which each subject is treated is
shown by the method of instruction
on tire construction. Complete lec
tures covering the construction and
methods of preparing the raw ma
terial are given and illustrated by the
actual tear-down of sections of Mar
athon Angle Tread Tires."
Dealers Enthuse Over
The Maxwell Truck
The Maxwell oiic-ton truck, an
nouncement of which has just been
made by the Maxwell Motor com
pany, Inc., through Walter E. Flan
ders, president and general manager,
is on display at the sales room of the
C. W. Francis Auto company.
So enthusiastic has been the com
ment on every hand regarding the
newest vehicle for commercial haul
ing, that the company officials are
highly pleased.'
it is announced that the Maxwell
company will build 25,000 of these
trucks as its hrst-year production.
Assurances that this number will be
marketed have already been obtained.
There are over 3,000 dealers in the
Maxwell organization and thev have
already contracted for the company
immediate output
Will Positively Out -Perform
Any Car in Its Price Class
NEARLY everybody now knows the tremendous success the Saxon "Six"
has won.
Nearly everybody knows that the Saxon "Six" is the finest car for less than
$1,000.
Owners, of course, were first to find out this superiority. But it I did not long
remain merely a matter of owner knowledge.
For from them, thousands of them all over this country, came reports of its
speed, its smoothness, its power, its acceleration.
They spoke frequently of its extraordinary gasoline economy, its unusual free
dom from need of repair service, its superlative strength and stability.
And these report coming day after day, growing con
stantly, have gradually molded and welded these individual
beliefs into a common public belief that Saxon "Six" is the
best car in its class.
Then as if to substantiate and confirm the superiority shown
in private use, Saxon "Six" began to show its superiority in
public competition.
It won a noted hill climb in the east against many higher
priced cars.
It defeated by fifteen minutes over a 500-mile course a train
which is the pride of the west.
It thrice vanquished costlier rivals in speed, acceleration,
and in hill climbing at the San Diego Exposition.
It exhibited acceleration from standing start to 45 miles per
hour in 23.6 seconds. '
206 stock model Saxon "Sixes" traveled 61,800 miles and
. , averaged 23.5 miles per gallon of gasoline. Each car ran
300 miles without stopping the motor.
38 stock model Saxon "Sixes" raced in relays from coast to
coast in 6 days, 18 hours and 10 minutes. This is the record
automobile time between New York and San Francisco.
( So when you come to seek the reason for the overwhelming
success of Saxon "Six" you will find it, most likely, in this
matchless ability to perform.;
If you should search still further you will find a two-fold
answer.
First, that Saxon "Six" at the outset was built right, that the
principles of its construction were correctly evolved and
accurately carried to completion.
Second, that Saxon "Six" since the outset has been passing
through a continuous condition of development and refine
ment. ,
Here is the big point for you, Mr. Prospective Car Buyer: No matter whether
you are considering the purchase of a car higher in price, or lower in price, than
the Saxon Six, you owe it to yourself to see the Saxon Six at the Auto Show,
where we will display a sedan, touring car and chummy roadster model.
Study it, ride in it, drive it compare it generally with the car of your first se
lection before making a final choice.
See the Saxon Line at the Omaha Auto Show, Space No
mm
NOYES-KILLY MOTOR COMPANY '-SSS'SSZ?
