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ANN ARBOR, \ICHIG\N, SUNDAY. JANUAR\tY 21, 1917
I
DETROIT AUTO SHOW
FEATURES NEW CARS
AND BOD.Y DESI6NS
DOUBLE COWL AND INDIVIDUAL
FRONT SEAT SEEN IN
1917 MODEL
After the Wr Paris sins in
N1otor Crs to be Nade in Agy
xerica
America is coming into her own in The development of the 12-cylinder
the matter of auto design. No longer motor illustrates this. Europeans had
is she allowing Europeans to dictate mane them, but only for the novelty
o her just what manner of motor car of the matter, and it remained for
Q)nstruction she shall follow. The war American manufacturers to so make
is the first reason for this shifting of them that they were practicable for
LARGEST EXHIBIT YET
STAGED IN DETROIT
the style center. But even before the
present conflict forced the European
manufacturers to forsake the motor-
car industry for others more valuable
to the direct prosecution of the war,
there was a tendency in this country
to break away from the dictates of the
continental countries and to perfect
new designs that were more strictly
American.
commercial purposes. The use of
aluminum is another phase of produc-
tion in which the Americans have
forged ahead, and many prominent
writers are making confident predic-
tions that in time the Europeans will
be following the fashion set by Amer-
ican producers in the use of this light
and durable material.
YEAR OF 1816 SETS NEW, RECORDS
AUTOMOBILE PRODUCTION PASSES
MILLI-ON MRKIN UNITED , STATI
Domestic Factories' Output Shows Increase -of 80 Per Cent Over 11
According to Annual Statistics
0--
TOTAL VALUE OF CARS BUILT LAST YEAR
COMES TO MORE THAN BILLION DOLLAI
0-
Look to Gasoline Cars to Stop Movement of Farmers' Sons and Daught(
to Cities by Increasing Rural Advantages
0
From the first, without a lapse in a
single year since the beginningtwen- reaching out and knitting into
ty-one years ago, the automobile has great active part of the world isola
been a maker of new records. Not all areas where life was cramped and c
of these records as a matter of course and resources undeveloped.
have been of equal significance; some Keeps Farmers in Country
have marked gains within but one The automobile is to forward to
period of development; others, fewer lution problems which have remai
in number, have signalized entry into unsolved in spite of all the railro:
new periods of development in the telephones, telegraphs, rural de
making and distribution of motor ve- eries and lecture bureaus in exister
hicles. One of these, fundamental to natic
In the year just closed two new well-being and progress, is to stay
Elaborate Decorations and Music
Motor Company Bands Make
Show Attractive
by
With more than 200 cars on exhibi-
tion, 20 of which have never been seen
in the Middle West before, the six-
teenth annual Detroit Automobile
show opened in all its splendor last
evening at the old "Billy" Sunday tab-
ernacle. Even though the structure
covers 65,000 square feet of ground,
every inch of the floor space was
utilized last evening to take care of
the enormous crowds that thronged
the aisles. It was estimated last week
by one of the members of the Board
of Directors of the Automobile Dealers
association, who have charge of the
show, that 20,000 more feet of space
could have been used by different
automobile manufacturers who were
refused exhibition privileges because
of the scarcity of floor space. Taking
into consideration the fact that the
tabernacle covers much more ground
than the Wayne Gardens, the Palace,
and other places where former auto-
mobile shows were held, it looks as
though the present show would sur-
pass all others.
Japanese architecture forms the key-
note of the decorations. There are
decorated arches along the way from
the corner of Woodward and Cass
avengies to the huge structure that
held the thousands of interested auto-
mobilists. Festoons of lights on posts
covered with banners and flags lead
to the entrance. The interior of the
building is carried out in the same
Japanese style. Hundreds of Japanese
lanterns were used to carry out the
beautiful decorative scheme from the
orient. More than 10,000 yards of white
cotton fabric and the same amount of
denim were used to put on the ceiling
so that the inverted lights would prop-
erly illuminate the whole building
without any glare. More than $7,000
was spent on electrical equipment.
In the 1917 models that are on ex-
hibition are found some of the pret-
tiest color lines that have been put
into cars this year. All of the booths
in which the cars are kept are highly
decorated.
First Exhibition of New Steam Car
Among the cars that attracted
special attention was the Doble steam
car. That this new car, might revo-
lutionize the motor industry is shown
by its easy running engine with en-
tirely new principles incorporated in
its construction.
Saginaw swung into the motor
world with its new Yale 8. Sunlight
six, the Biddle, and the Olympia, are
only a few of the new cars that the
spectators seemed to be specially in-
terested in out of the 20 cars that were
on exhibition for the first time.
Last night, the Ford motor car com-
pany band, composed of more than 60
pieces, furnished the music for the
evening. The men with their clean-
cut uniforms, made quite an impres-
sion on the crowd. Tomorrow, the
Buick band, of Flint, will give a con-
cert.
The general type of the cars that
were supposed to represent the latest
style in autodom seemed as a whole
to represent the following character-
istics. An individual front seat, with
a back that folds over out lof the way
to facilitate entrance and exit; double
cowl and slanting windshield; wide
doors that swing level when open;
curtains opening with the doors; the
front seats tipped at a slight angle and
when the door is openek], a light
illuminating the running board at
night; little pockets for toilet requis-
ites conveniently arranged; and many
other little comforts and modern lux-
uries. A number of the limousines
and town cars had little telephones to
, communicate with the chauffeur with-
' out knocking on the window.
Although the cost of bright-colored
paint is very high, there were a num-
ber of ultra fastidiously colored cars
on exhibition, yellow, red, blue and
(Continued on Page Six)
1916 Was Years Ago
PROF. W. T. FISilLEIGi,
Head of the Automobile Engineering
Department of the University
of Michigan
STANDRD ATO TESTS
tPRESENT UDAY NECESSITY
Special Apparatus Designed in Engi-
neering Laboratory at
University
With the growth of the automobile
industry which has had so large a
place in Michigan's industrial history
these last few years, certain problems
have arisen which were not thought of
when automobile manufacturing was
in its infancy.
Modern conditions have lead to tests
for consideration of the performance
of different cars, designed to form a
scientific basis for claim of these cars.
The auto-buying public has heretofore
had no means of judging between dif-
ferent makes of cars. Such tests as
were made could form no real basis
for comparison, nor do they reveal a
great deal as to ordinary every-day
wearing qualities of a car.
This question came inevitably to the
attention of the engineer. All matters
of fuel economy, acceleration, speed
range, and general efficiency, as well
as riding comfort, demand some sort of
standard test for car performance.
Special apparatus had to be devised
for this work, and, special methods for
plotting curves had to be devised so
as to make tests possible for an aver-
age engineering department. In devel-
oping and constructing this. apparatus
the automobile laboratory of the Uni--
versity has taken a leading part, and
some of the work has been carried out.
at the University by a. section of qtu-
dents taking advanced work in auto-
mobile engineering. One complete ap-
paratus for these tests was made at
the University.
This work promises to be of tre-
mendous benefit to the automobile buy-
ing public as well as to engineers who
wish authoritative comparisons of
cars.
There is no question but that such a
practical and standardized method of
making comparisons between cars will
be welcome. The committee of the S.
A. E. has been keenly alive to this
fact, and hopes to have regulations
and apparatus for making the tests in'
final form before the models for next
fall come on the market. The stand-
ards committee has approved the rules
already, and their application only'
awaits the devising of suitable test-
ing apparatus. It is upon this prob-
lem that the automobile laboratory of
the University is working at present.
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GAS ENGINES GIVE LOW
HEAT BALNCE TESTS
Automobile Laboratory Here Obtains
Interesting Results from Work
on Motor Efficiency
Some startling discoveries along the
line of the high cost of running an
automobile "have recently been made
by Professors Fishleigh and Lay of
the engineering school. These were
presented to the Society of Automobile
Engineers at its last meeting and have
created quite a stir in the automobile
world. The discoveries are in the
nature of heat balance or the distri-
bution of the power derived from
gasoline.
In careful tests it was discovered-
that 40 per cent of the heat value of
gasoline was absorbed by the water
cooling system, 25 per cent by the air
surrounding the engine, and 25 per
cent more by the exhaust gases, leav-
ing but 10 per cent brake horse-power.
Although it has long been known that.
an automobile has a low thermal effi-{
ciency, the distribution of the heat'
value has never before been so care-
fully worked out, nor has such a large
part of it been known to be diverted
into waste channels.
Test Gasoline
It is interesting to know how these{
results have been accomplished. The
heat energy contained in the gasoline
was determined and close watch kept
of the amount used. Then the amount
of heat absorbed in the water cooling'
system was watched by thermometers
placed at the inlet and outlet of the'
engine. A mixing tank took the place
of the radiator and a constant temper-
GOOD ROADS DELIGHT
PROPCTV UTOISTS
Condition of America's Highways May
Set New Mark for Vacation
Touring
Due to the potent and popular
slogan of "See America First," the
high water mark of automobile tour-
ing was reached in this country in
1916. Indications point that 1917 will
see even a greater number of motorists
spending their vacations speeding over
the wonderful highways of the United
States.
Last year thousands of motorists
who formerly toured Europe were
forced by the war to motor in this
country, they found that it wasn't such
a bad place after all. Miles upon miles
of white macadamized roads, concrete
highways, gravel trails, or dirt roads
kept in perfect condition with king
drags, made traveling a pleasure. For-
ests, mountains, plains, picturesque
places, and the measureless vastness
of the states pleasantly surprised the
majority of the motorists who had
been accustomed to a vacation diet of
thatched houses and aged ruins.
Cloverland Trail Good
In Michigan the motorist was espe-
cially delighted with the Cloverland
Trail in the Upper Peninsula running
from Sault Ste. Marie to Ironwood,
with branches to Menominee and Man-
istique. The Great Lake tour from
Chicago through Milwaukee, Green
Bay and Escanaba, across the Straits
of Mackinaw and to Detroit is becom-
ing popular.
New York with her already compre-
hensive system of highways, finished
the New York-Monticello-Binghamton-
Elmira-Buffalo route and will probably
enjoy a large increase in travel.
Japanese Architecture at Atlanta Show
The Atlanta, Ga., show will be held
Feb. 24-March 4 at the auditorium.
Sign posts at. each exhibit will have
roofs similar to those of the Japanese
houses and will be decorated with
Japanese characters. Red and white.
colors will be used.
goals of this deeper significance were
reached. For the first time the million
mark in motor vehicle production in
the United States was passed, and for
the first time the value of passenger
vehicles and motor trucks manufac-
tured in this country went above the
billion dollar mark.
Rccording to the figures given out
recently by the National Automobile
Chamber of Commerce, which repre-
sents the motor vehicle manufacturers
of the country, the total production of
all classes of cars was 1,617,708, of
which 1,525,578 were passenger auto-
mobiles and 92,130 were trucks or com-
mercial vehicles.- The total value of
this output based on the retail price,
was $1,088,028,273, represented by
$921,378,000 in passenger cars and
$166,650,273 in trucks.
Output Shows Gain of 80 Per Cent
In 1915 the total output of cars was
892,618, the gain in p roduction over
the preceding year is, therefore, 80
per cent, and this increase is twice as
much as the average annual gain since
the foundation of the industry. At the
beginning of 1916 the National Cham-
ber of Commerce estimated that the
production for that year would be 1,-
200,000. The prophets of the automo-
bile industry have never been lacking
in boldness and imagination; but those
prophets worth heeding fell short of
the actual output in 1916 by more than
600,000.
What is the dominant note of the
new period on which the automobile
has just entered? In the opinion bf the
manufacturers the automobile has
justly won its right to a place among
the great public utilities, comparable
with the railroads, the telegraph and
the telephone. Each of these -estab-
lished a new system of communica-
tion; they united the United States.
The gain was vast but in sweeping
aside old ways of communication there
was one great loss. The building and
the extention of the railroads laid a
deadening hand on the development of
highways and roads. The old traffic
that went by way of the four-horse
freighter over highway and turnpike
from one state to another was loaded
into railway freight cars. The freight-
er with the stage coach disappeared.
Public attention was taken from con-
sideration of highway maintenance.
Highways, generally speaking, became
merely local.
New Vehicle Needed
A new kind of vehicle was required
to put life into the highways again and
it was up to the automobile with its
speed and economy to do it. Here is
the great part it is to play in thd na-
tional development which in the end
will compare favorably with the prog-
ress promoted by any of the other
great public utilities. Systems of
country-wide highways are to be built
which were not dreamed of before the
days of the automobile. These high-
ways are to bear a traffic, in passenger
automobiles and motor trucks, never
imagined in the d'ays of the horse.
The railroad with all its capacity for
service has its limitations. It is rigid
transportation bound to steel rails.
The automobile is elastic transporta-
tion, free to go wherever the highway
leads. To have a home or a farm at
any considerable distance from a rail-
road or trolley line was to be out of
the world. The automobile is bringing
these places into the world. It is
movement from the country to the cit
to keep the farmer on the farm. Thi
problem first entered the stage of a.
tive discussion about two decades ag
and the interest it aroused was th
father of the "Back to the Land Move
ment."
Farm life was pictured in allurin
colors by lecturers, and thousands c
city people were induced to go "for
ward to the land"; thence, later, mo
of them retreated to the city in thor
ough sympathy with the farmer wh
would not stay on the land. Even wit
the heralded conveniences of the telE
phone, the rural mail delivery and th
near-by railroad, the farm was a du
place to most people. Just what wa
the matter no one could tell when th
reverse movement began. Now it at
pears that the chief trouble was th
lack of adequate transportation.
The automobile is supplying thi
transportation. The motor car is trans
forming farm life. With the horse
drawn vehicle the farmer moved bac
and forth from country to town at th
rate of about three miles an hour. Wit
the automobile the rate of travel i
probably about 15 miles an hour. ]
is at once seen how such rapid trans
portation increases the ,scope and a
tivities of farm life. The trip to tow
or city for an evening's entertainmen
is quickly made. The farm neighbor
hood is much extended. Twenty mile
is no distance to go-more than a hal
day's trip with a horse.
Aids Good Roads
In bringing about the economic an
social gains which the automobile i
capable of, good roads are necessar
Automobile production is ahead of roa
production and the automobile man
facturers realize that the future dis
tribution of motor vehicles depends o
the construction of highways capabl
of standing up under heavy automc
bile traffic. They have just started
movement aimed to increase the num
ber of schools and college department
for the training of highway engineers
having found that there are not enoug
properly qualified men for the roa
work now going on. To build the rig
kind of roads rightly trained men ar
a primary essential.
While road building is behind aut
mobile building, this year will see th
greatest road construction ever under
taken in this country. It is estimate
that $250,000,000 will be spent in th
United States. There is hardly a stat
that does not realize the importance c
connecting up by solidly built road
ways with the main highways the
enter it from other states. Otherwis
the ever increasing stream of moto
vehicle traffic will pass it by. Th
Federal government has joined in th
work of providing main highway route
adequate for present-day traffic. Eight
million dollars was voted by the las
Congress to be distributed among th
states for this work, with the require
ment that each state double the amour
of its apportionment.
What will the production be thi
year? It will be larger than in 191
in the opinion of the manufacturer:
It is recognized that the last year wa
a phenomenal year, and while the a
tomobile has been treated to one phe
nomenal year after another, 100 pe
cent is not to be looked for. On ma
in touch with the industry predict
that the increase of 1917 over 191
will be more than 20 per cent.
Wiscopsin Buys Cars for Officials
Fifteen of the eighteen cities of the
first, second and third classes in Wis-
consin now provide city officials with
motor cars for official business, ac-
cording to the state municipal refer-
ence library of the University of Wis-
consin. This means that all but three
towns in the state having 10,000 popu-
lation or more, own one or more cars,
I : - *
or pay the cost of upkeep on others. ature was maintained in it.
Statistics were compiled for Wisconsin Test Under Road Cond
municipalities to show how far a city The air surrounding the e
itions
ngine was
should go in supplying officials with
cars and how the service should be
supplied. The tendency in Wisconsin
seems to be to purchase and maintain
machines and to grant additions to
salaries for upkeep of cars owned by,
officials and used part-time for offi-
cial business. The reference library
is drafting a model ordinance for the
creation of municipal garages.
determined as to temperature and
quantity by means of standard labora-
tory devices, the one feature being
that a sirocco blower was used to sup-
ply the air and the velocity was care-
fully figured out in order to give the
ordinary road conditions.
Finally the exhaust was analyzed
as to heat and as to its constituent
gases: