Once a year in the full of the moon, according to Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book, the amiable wolves of India gather in packs to pass judgment on the year's crop of cubs. Forth from their lairs and into the shadow of the great Council Rock the she-wolves nuzzle their young. If the cub is judged fit to run with the pack, all is well. If not, the she-wolf and her cubs henceforth hunt alone. And according to Rudyard Kipling that is poor hunting indeed. Last week in Manhattan, like the mother-wolves of India, the motormakers of the U. S. pushed their new models into the shadow of the council rock that is the annual National Automobile Show. And with just as much eager pride as Kipling's she-wolves, the motormakers awaited the judgment of the buying public. If their models were accepted, they would lope happily in the annual spring running, which everyone expected would be the swiftest in three years. If their models were rejected, they would find the hunting lean.
When the doors of Grand Central Palace swung wide to a crowd that jam-packed the sidewalks for a block in either direction, 27 different breeds of cars in 250 different models were lined up smartly for judgment. They were, as they always are, the best automobiles the prima donna of U. S. industries had ever turned out. To help the crowd make up their minds, excited demonstrators, attendants, executives, engineers and mannikins swarmed over & under, in & out of each & every exhibit. Studebaker had golden girls and a golden queen who chanted: "Take a magic key and win a Studebaker—given away every day." On the first day the Studebaker queen was panic-stricken when her royal robes became unhooked in the back. De Soto put on a marionet shew, depicting the history of transportation since the birth of Hernando De Soto, Spanish explorer. Hudson's Terraplane offered spectators playlets including one involving an ingenue, her weary mother, a Terraplane salesman and a policeman with the loudest voice at the Show. Two girls on a turntable spent their hours and days climbing in & out of a Chrysler. Packard boasted the "Queen of a Century of Progress," who would on request weigh your signature. A couple in evening dress against a backdrop of swank estates set the stage for Pierce-Arrow.
The 1934 Automobile is longer, roomier, sleeker, faster and, with a few exceptions, it is more expensive (5% to 10% above last year). Nearly every model has felt the hand of the aerodynamics engineer. The mechanical benefits of streamlining—higher speed (against reduced air resistance) at less cost—have led every motormaker directly to the practical problem of increased riding comfort. The new streamlined car had to offer smoother transportation at 70 m.p.h. than the old high-bodied model did at 50 m.p.h. This necessity resulted in the major mechanical innovation of the year—independent front wheel suspension. Heretofore front springs had to be made stiffer than rear ones to hold the front wheels rigid for steering. A front wheel bump tended to jounce the car up & down on the rear springs. To overcome this obstacle and soften the front springs engineers have now mounted each front wheel on springs which act independently, thus replacing the rigid front axle.