Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 16 November 1936 — Page 18

7 PLYMOUTH 1S IMPROVED IN

" EIGHT FEATURES

Body, Engine and Design

Are Changed to Meet ~ Present-Day Trend.

* Revolutionary “safety-styling” and

proofing and bigger bodies—supported by rubber pillows for a new kind of “hushed” among the principal ——— which the new Plymouth brings to the lowprice field. Safety glass and other features are included without additional charge, so that 1937 Plymouth prices are equivalent to actual reductions of $10 or more throughout the line.

It's “Safety Styled”

The 1937 car is “safety-styled” inside and out. Grille design is classically simple, with vertical chrome bars on each side of a center-strip in body color. Large tear-drop headlamps are attached by windstream supports to the sides of the radiator. New patented outrigger mountings that extend beyond the frame account for the great increase in body. room of all Plymouth models. Sedans have generous space for six passengers, Front seats are widened by three full inches, with two and one-half inches more in back. A redesigned rear compartment foot rest adds three inches more leg room to the spacious interior. Overall length has been increased to 194 inches and the new seamless steel roof adds another inch of head room without’ increase in car height. For the first time every sedan has either a trunk or a luggage compartment accessible from the back of the car. Built-in trunks are far more spacious and the new luggage compartments, that are really concealed trunks in the airflow-styled back, provide as much luggage room as former built-in units.

Introduce New Interior

The pioneers of hydraulic brakes and safety-steel bodies introduce this year a brand new “Safety Interior.” Designed to prevent any more passenger injuries from sudden contact with control knobs or hooked door handles, the-interior of the new car has been swept clean of many kinds of projections. In the new Plymouth safety styling, throttle, choke and light switch controls disappear on special slides in the rounded base of the instrument panel. Even the switch key is recessed, so that it does not pro- * trude. The windshield crank folds away. Windshield wiper control buttons are of soft rubber instead of metal. Door handles curve inward with no projecting hooks. A padded roll across the top of front * seats protects rear passengers: in case of “taxicab” stops, and a silk robe cord is deemed safer than a metal rail.

BY PAUL G. HOFFMAN President,. Studebaker Corp.

Competitive engineering, sound manufacturing poHcies and economical distribution make it possible for the independent automobile producer in America to claim a full share of the motor market. This has been true in the past; it’s true now. It will be true in the future.

That's my answer to the oft-asked question, “What is going to happen to the independent company?” The independent producer recognizes that larger combines and companies possess obvious advantages. Their numerous cars naturally dominate the buyers’ shopping list. Yet the small company asks no quarter and gives none, offsetting this advantage simply by attempting to make a better automobile at the same or a lower price. The first requirement is competitive engineering. The independent manufacturer must contribute more than his proportionate share of engineering advancements. Such competitive engineering is possible because no company, no matter how large, is able to obtain a monopoly on brains, The invisible ingredient which spells quality in any manufactured product is labor. Here a company like ours holds a decided advantage, we believe. Studebaker’s 7000 workers in South Bend form a compact and cohesive organization, each man taking a real pride in his association, with the company and in his work. The length of service averages more than 10 years with the average age of employes 40 years. Factory lines move about 10 per cent slower than in larger companies but the skilled craftsmanship and the high morale of a stable organization result in high efficiency. The popular notion that independent companies are at a disadvantage in buying materials is entirely wrong. We will spend more than $40,000,000 1n 1937 and any idea that this volume of purchases will not secure us competitive prices is incorrect. The management has felt it better policy to accept a very small profit and rely on increased volume for a satisfactory operating result. During the first 7 months of 1936 registrations of Studebakers in the United States were 59 per cent higher than in the same period of 1935. A further substantial increase is expected in 1937... Any independent company operating on this basis is bound to get a good share of the world’s business— and make money. That's why I say “the independent will always be with us.”

BY C. W. NASH Nash Moters Co. Board Chairman

In general business and in the automotive industry, continued expansion is indicated for the new year, unless’ ‘some unpredictable national calamity overtakes us. It will be a period of itensified competition in which profits will be harder to earn and during which courage and enterprise will be needed to finish on top when the year is ended. We have had in 1936 a great buying of automobiles. The heavy industries have made great strides toward complete recovery. Even the long suffering railroads have:made definite progress. “Although crops and livestock production has been down," the farmers have ‘received higher prices and have been generally: prosperous. I_see no reason why the ‘upward trend should not continue, barring always the unpredictable. I believe that 1937 will be even better in. the motor car indusiry than was the

| 12 months just closed.

Competition Is Increased

However, the satisfactory year just closed has, in itself, meant more severe competition. Corporation earnings have been such as to put many of them in better competitive position, able to spend more to obtain a larger share of the 1937 market. Funds have been made available for plant expansion programs, for the’ development of new products, and for greatly expanding sales and advertising efforts. Combining all these things, it is evident that now is not the time to relax .and ride along on the rising wave of prosperity. And that is why Nash Motors for 1937 has adopted the slogan, “When you're out to win, you can’t afford to coast.” The phrase sums up my business philosophy for the new year. If seems plain to me that there will be many and drastic shifts in relative positions. Some companies ‘and someindustries will lag behind. the march of progress because their competition has been: more keenly alive to publicly accepted industrial developments. Some will lag behind because their competition has excelled in courage and vision to adopt new methods and constantly improve its products. We have had this viewpoint toward 1937 for some time now. Right after the automgbile;shows of last yearn we began. to. plafy the line of produéts we are now presenting. Every consideration was abandoned except the determination: to design the finest mechanical automobiles and the smartest styled automobiles that could be turned out.

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BY WALTER P. CHRYSLER Chrysler Corp. Board Chairman Our social and economic life would not be what it is today if

automobile. men had ever been sat-.

isfied with their achievements. During the whole evolution of the motor car, from the horseless carriage to the airflow marvels of today, improvements have been at a rate and with ‘a persistence for which hisigey has no parallel.

“Grown to a Necessity

I have never been more: optimistic about the automobile industry than I am today. Automobile transportation is now a necessity. Automobile desighing, ‘manufacturing and selling is in: the hands of for-ward-looking, capable men and I

believe . they are competent to handle their problems and opportunities with a very high regard for the public interest and safety as well as the needs of their customers. Because the substantial shortage of passenger car and truck transportation accumulated during the recent depression has not yet been replenished, because more and more people are becoming dependent on individual means of transportation, because the continual improvement of roads and highways opens new markets for automobiles and trucks, and because people generally Have more money to spend than they did a few years ago, the market for cars and trucks should continue to make good business. The automobile industry has foresightedly prepared for this growing market by investing, during the first nine months of this year, more money than it has expended for similar purposes in a very long time. Many ‘new plants have been built and equipped. ‘Obsolete machinery has ‘been replaced. Manufacturing methods, ‘working conditions and employment conditions have been improved.

BY ALVAN MACAULEY President, Packard Motor Car Co.

Everybody knows the importance of style lines in the automobile industry’s selling picture. It is this that has built up our business, and it is one of the fundamentals of our success. “We get out new car

models every year and offer them to |

a breathlessly anticipant public. We can do this because we have a great volume of business than can stand new models annually and the advertising cost involved. The public expects them at practically a given time and looks forward to our showmanship. Motor cars when first offered on the market were comparatively crude. Immense improvement was possible and was consistently made through the years. Advances in

factory machinery and equipment|

and in automotive engineering and in metallurgy and the development of ‘accessory equipment to increase the comfort, ease and safety of driving and riding all contributed.

Style Has Place

But as a manufactured article approaches perfection there is less and less opportunity for revolutionary mechanical improvement, and that, of course, is what has happened to the automobile. Mechanical advances, nevertheless, come every. year. As a primary development is made one that has been secondary attains primary importance and is tackled. Some of the greatest improvements, in my opinion, have been made in recent years. Some are still in process of being made, but they are of the type that are expected of us in further perfecting our product, and we do not as a rule base our principal appeal to the buying public upon them solely. We often talk more particgary about style. car looks well if it is in the ie In fact, from a manufacturer’s standpoint, the current mode is as much a compelling force as it is to the maker of clothes or furniture. :

BY ALFRED P. SLOAN JR. President, General Motors Corp.

Practical and economical transportation is the 1937 objective of the automotive industry at it presents its newest creations at the auto shows. ; In the preparation of its 1937 cars, General Motors has adh to its policy of progressive improvement year by year. We have not made radical changes, either from the standpoint of engineering or styling. We have endeavored to improve the cars mechanically in order to achieve better performance, reduced service expense and more economical operation. We have tried aiso to improve their appearance

and make them safer and more.

comfortable for driver and passengers. One of the most important new features of General Motors cars for 1937 is the “Unisteel Turret Top” body. This of construction, which might be considered as an extension of the “Turret Top” principle to the entire body by the fusing and welding of top, bottom and sides together, forms the body structure into one single rigid unit of steel. Safety is greatly increased by this more solid construction, and important contributions are permitted to comfort, roominess and style. Their introduction on the General Motors cars of 1937 capitalizes Uie advances that have been made in metallurgy and welding, and represents months of planning and development work an da considerable expenditure for new machinery and equipnient. In our efforts to make the cars safer to operate, we have continued our studies of the lighting problem. We believe that the equipment used on our 1937 products will help. to make night driving safer. . I would like to take this occasion to express publicly my appreciation to all of those thousands of people who have contributed to the preparation and production of the Gen-

{eral Motors cars of 1937.

{BODY HAS NO BOLTS

BY A. E. BARIT President, Hudson Motor Car Co. Perhaps the greatest reason for

Not one bolt, rivet, screw, er nail is used in the construction of the new Chevrolet bodies. The solid

the fact that the automobile in-{

dustry is outstanding among those “which are enjoying the greajesy | ars ‘measure of recovery is the fact

ered | that it did during the height of

the depression period so refine and

—and in day-after-day hard driving—

EVERYTHING POINTS TO

At the Auto Shows—

“Everything Points to PONTIAC"

| There is a Bowes "Seal-Fast" Spark plug for _ every car—thermostatically balanced for fin-

est performance and economy.

The Plug That Can Take It!

’ - “220