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Show WHY AMERICAN CARS AM IN LEAD Tbe dreaded 'American invasion" will Include large cars," sa.s E. S. Foljambe In an editorial in the Automobile Auto-mobile Trade Journal "Many believe it to be simply talk, and that nothing sorious will come of It, but those familiar with American Amer-ican manufacturing realize that the conditions here outlined make such an Invasion not only possible, but very probable The first realization of the Invasion Inva-sion of the European territory by American cars took place recently In connection with the shipment of some of the sinull well known American cars which are produced In very large quantities Before this, American cars I had been shipped abroad but not in 3ny quantity, and unfortunately by makers whoso product did not have the best standing in America These inferior cars were largely responsl ble for the adverse opinion which undoubtedly un-doubtedly existed in Europe in regard to American made automobiles a few years ago Gradually, however the well made quantity produced cars of American laciones oegan to cross the water, and the prejudice of the foreign buyer buy-er was rapidly dispelled when he actually ac-tually knew and used these very efficient effi-cient and highly satisfactory' low-priced low-priced automobiles At first the foreign makers paid little lit-tle or no attention to these cars, or laughed at them, as their body lines were very different from the European Euro-pean ones in vogue But the gradual increase, and then suddenly the very marked Increase, In the number of these cars sold caused the makers, particularly In England and then of France, to become alarmed Increase In Exports. At the present time tbe Increase in the number of small earn exported export-ed from America is very great, as shown by the last export flguree, the number of cars exported to the United Kingdom up to October for each vear being 1270 In 1910. 2776 in 1911 and 4207 In 1912. The same figures for Franco are 207, 366 and 585 To Canada, Can-ada, which Is the largest user, 3205, 4300 and 6393. The total exports of American cars show a gain of almost 70 per cent over a year ago at this time No wonder the European malt-em malt-em are beginning to take serious no tice. For the first time in the history ot the Paris show a large amount of space was devoted to exhibits of American low and medium priced cars' Sorne of these were fitted with the latest type of foreign bodies, and tbe prices In almost every' case were lower than those of cars of the same capability and capacity, made In France. In England a great many so-called "cycle cars" are used, these being 6mall low hung three wheeled or four wheeled vehicles, many of them with single or twin motor cycle type engines en-gines and often with friction or belt drues These little cars sell In nearly near-ly every case for more than American Ameri-can rnade four cylinder runabouts, which are very much more an automobile automo-bile It Is not surprising that the American cars aro taking the place of these vehicles Why America Leada It may be asked how it is possible possi-ble for the American makers to export ex-port care and sell them lu foreign market for lets money than the foreign for-eign makers cud supply cars for their own market The answer Is simple: sim-ple: No place in the world is there the same use of high grade duplicating duplicat-ing machinery a In American fac torles; no place In the world is there such a market for automobiles as in the United States, and no place In the world has the quantity production of automobiles reached ouch a high state of perfection These three facts alone are sufficient to account for the Cheapness of well made low priced American earn What chance has u European maker who turns out from 200 to 500 cars a year, a large part of the work being done by hand, against factories which turn out 20.000. 40.000. 80,000 or 200.000 cars a year' Even if the foreign maker was inclined to produce in large quautlties, he could not be supported by hln home market, mar-ket, and such a quantity production must be supported at home as a rule, before It can gain a foothold in any-other any-other country Invasion Will Include Large Cars, Up to this time the conditions that we have been citing have existed only among tbo low priced cars, bu' , wc predict that gradually the higher ; priced American cars will be exported export-ed In Increasing numbers, until Eu-I Eu-I ropean makerr of tbe6c cars will also I seriously affected. This Is but a natural evolution due to the quantity I production of America, as even tho I makers of four and six cylinder cars which sell nt $2000 to 18000 are turning turn-ing them om in 100v. 2000 and even 4000 lota, while a production of 600 would be vory largo Indeed for mnst of the European builders In this class We therefore believe that the. "American Invasion" Is sure to extend beyood tho low priced cars Into the middle and high priced within the next few years." |