Salt Lake Tribune | 1919-11-09 | Page 53 | Says American Automobiles Reflect Foreign Influences

Says American Automobiles Reflect Foreign Influences LONDON and Paris not only tell us what we should wear to be in fashion, but the automobile engineers en-gineers of England and France have exerted an influence on the motor modes In this' country. America's gargantuan demands for automobiles, au-tomobiles, in fact, have hindered the Independent In-dependent development of our motor cars, with the result that we have borrowed from the English and the French many mechanical improvements. This statement is in accordance with the views of D. McCaJJ White, designer of the eight-cylinder Cadillac, now vice president of the Lafayette Motors company com-pany of Indianapolis. "In America we have been too busy In the solution of quantity production problems to put much effort on the evolution evo-lution of new theories, and the building Of experimental models." said Mr. While, who knows foreign conditions through his former connections with Napier, Daimler and Crossley in England, France and Italy. "Tn Europe it is different. The output of the average American plans pygmies the production of the largest French or Knglish factory. The European engineer has the time to seek new things and, having found them, to put them into practice. "The first six-cylinder car, for example, exam-ple, was produced by Napier in England; the first eight. In France, and the first successful twelve, by Sunbeam in England. En-gland. Back in 1006 they were experimenting experi-menting with high-speed -motors in the Daimler factory, increasing the engine revolution from 800 to 1600 In one test model that whs built that year. "American engineers did nut adopt thfl high-speed principle until several ' years later, when the superiorities of such an engine were demonstrated by the victorious victori-ous drivers of foreign cars entered in the Indianapolis 500 -mile race. "Europe must also be credited with the lengthening of the piston stroke and the reduction of the cylinder bore, and for (he origination, as wall, of such equipment, equip-ment, now accepted as standard in Ainer-fta, Ainer-fta, as wire wheels and cord tires. "When T make such statements, T have no intention of discredit Ing the experts who are responsible for the design and development of the American motor car. They have done much in making (he automobile au-tomobile t he efficient mechanism 1 hat it is today. Moreover, their adoption of European Eu-ropean principles was not only et hlcal, but wise. It is also true that they have been handicapped In their science bv the) tremendous demands of t he American market."