Here are my observations of the automobile situation in Europe and the new things to be seen over there, including tendencies at the Paris show.

Types of cars

Increase in the use of small automobiles is astonishing. The cycle car is coming back in favor as a well-designed, highly economical, satisfactory vehicle. The big development is in 10 to 12 H.P. sizes of light cars and motor cars. Incidentally, the French distinction between the three is approximately as follows: Cycle cars range up to 1100 c.c. cylinder capacity, or 67 cubic inches; light cars from 1100 c.c. to 1500 c.c., or 92 cubic inches; motor cars 1500 c.c. and above.

In England very few new large cars are seen, the Rolls-Royce and Daimler being the most conspicuous. The popular models in England seem to be the 10 H.P. Fiat, 10 H.P. Talbot-Darracq, the Morris Oxford and of course the Ford; although in neither England nor France are there as many Fords to see as one might expect.

In France the large car is still in vogue, although the show indicated that every manufacturer now recognized the demand for small cars and is catering to it, Renault just bringing out a new 6 H.P., 4-cylinder, and Citroën made quite a feature of his 5 H.P.

There are a number of three-wheel light cars to be seen in England and France, more notably the Morgan, al-though the New Hudson is coming into prominence in England. Of course the high cost of gasoline, plus excessive taxa-tion on horsepower, are accountable for a great deal of this great small-car demand and one reason why the Ford is not more successful at the present time over there.

It is apparent that the market for the Hudson in England and France will be limited under present taxation condi-tions, and that Essex ranks as having a fairly large motor. However, as they become more prosperous and taxation is relieved, undoubtedly there will be a trend away from the small car.

Bodies Great numbers of two-passenger open bodies are used, but not many attempts are made on the light machines to seat five, four being the usual limit. Open bodies are still the leaders, but the Paris show indicated an attempt to produce closed bodies at reasonable prices. Ansaldo [of Turin] showed a coach type rather like ours.

A great feature this year was made of the inside-drive, four- or seven-passenger body with a folding top and plate glass windows which opened with doors and could be taken out. I saw one or two very good looking cabriolet, two-passenger types with folding top and windows that drop in the doors, more notably the Standard. The folding top was just about the same type that we would put on a roadster, unlined, and while the body was not strictly weather-proof, it was apparently very satisfactory, and certainly good looking.

A number of cars had gray leather upholstering with a striped finish, imitating cloth. This is particularly attractive in the front seat of enclosed-drive cars.

I saw quite a number of enclosed-drives with a glass partition between the front and back seats, similar to the partition in my new sedan, in which the glass slides sideways.

Citroën

I lunched with Citroën and he took me through his plant. He produces as many cars as all the rest of the French industry put together, and the models are exceedingly good looking. His torpedo type is really quite handsome, and also his landaulet, which is one of the best finished of the small stock bodies I have ever seen, and is very popular in Paris as a taxicab. There is not much detail finish on the Citroën chassis, but the exteriors of the cars are well done. The car is very popular around France and easily outsells the Ford. [A footnote says: Citroën uses a very good looking instrument board made of sheet aluminum which he polishes in an inexpensive ornamental design, making it most attractive.]

I think Citroën will visit Detroit this coming winter to see the factories over here. Although he is the only quantity producer in Europe, his manufacturing methods are still far behind ours. However, I was rather impressed with his body painting department, as he has an English installation of an oven with equipment for moist air, which struck me as being somewhat similar to that used at the Dodge factory for some of their closed bodies. He says that this has effected a great increase in the permanence of the finish on his bodies, and he is very keen about it.

Four-wheel brakes

The most conspicuous mechanical change at the Paris show was the almost unanimous adoption of four-wheel brakes on all cars above 12 H.P., although some of the 10 H.P. cars had them. There are three favorite designs of these brakes, Perrot, Adex and Isotta Fraschini. Every one of our dealers that [Export Manager Orville] Williams met at the Paris show immediately wanted to know if we would equip our cars with four-wheel brakes. We must watch this movement with great care, since all cars of any quality on the continent may adopt four-wheel brakes within a year, and it is a sure thing that some American makes will take it up, it being rumored over there that Cadillac will come out soon with four-wheel brake equipment. While the arguments against four-wheel brakes are somewhat similar to the arguments originally made against the adoption of electric self-starters, if the public wants them and wants the non-skid effect and quickness of stopping that they give, we must be ready to supply them. [Hudson did not adopt them until 1927.]

Fours and Sixes

Practically all new small cars were four-cylinder with the exception of the Omega 6, which created considerable interest, and the small Mathis 6. The Omega's cylinders are 65 x 100 mm, or 2.56 x 3.937 inches, and Mathis has two six cylinder models, on of 9 J.P., 55 x 80 mm, or 2.17 x 3.15 inches, and one of 10 H.P., 60 x 70 mm, or 2.36 x 2.76 inches.

Economy in gasoline consumption is so vital to the European buyer that there can never be the demand for small sixes that exists in America.

General Condition of Automobile Business

The easiest way to realize how fortunate we are in America is to go to Europe. This applies not only to the state of business but also the public mind and happiness. There is still great mental depression on the part of most people as a result of the war and not much hope that from an economic and business stand-point things are going to be much better for some time.

Neither the French nor the British motor car makes are doing particularly well, but simply living on hopes. Fiat seems to have brought back its export trade about the best of anyone, and apparently its 10 H.P. model is looked upon as perhaps the finest small car built in Europe.

Fiat and Citroën are said to have the largest output at the present time over there; Renault not maintaining the position that they formerly had. I would say that Hispano-Suiza ranks second to Rolls-Royce in the public mind as pre-sumably the best European car.

The V-type radiator is very popular on all makes, especially the new smaller models, although the Fiat has dropped its rounded type of radiator on its new big six and produces a front similar to that of the Delage. Nickel-plated radiators are much in vogue.

Rolls-Royce has followed our lead and on the new 20 H.P. model has a radiator shutter similar to ours, although not set in a separate shell. There is a great tendency to over-head valves on all cars, many of them being operated by cam shaft at the top of the motor. [footnote: However, the big thing that is being done in the small car is the large amount of power being generated by these little motors. Genuine progress in this direction is indicated.]

Prices are gradually coming down on all makes, but Europe is still a long way above us in the cost of production. Apparently Citroën has been the only maker to really take advantage of some of the mass production methods they learned during the war time.

Herbert H. Rice and I took up the matter of effecting friendly working arrangements with the European manufacturers to unite in combating excessive taxation of the motor car, and to assist in the building of highways throughout the world for the furthering of all automobile export trade.

The show was very beautiful, and the French makers are most fortunate in having such an attractive place as the Grand Palais in which to display their cars. Exhibits are now uniformly decorated like our American shows. Body lines were in the main very good looking with but few faddish types exhibited this year. Practically every exhibit had a beautiful polished chassis on which great care had been taken.