This week the doors of Manhattan's garish Grand Central Palace open on the biggest, brightest, costliest annual U. S. coming-out party: The National Automobile Show. For their 40th debut U. S. motormakers have plenty of shiny new models to show, plenty of bright new points to talk about.
Every fall the U. S.'s No. 2 industry* buds with optimism. This week it is in full flower. For motormakers 1938 was a hard year (4th worst in number of sales since record 1929) with profits down as much as 70%, total production little more than half of 1937. But the close of the 1939 automobile year on September 30 showed: 1) profits up moderately; 2) total production of 3,587,000 units (4th best year since 1929) up 33% over 1938; 3) new car stocks not over 147,000 units—within 2% of their historic 1938 Sept. 1 low.
This cheerful earful accounted for only part of Detroit's optimism. To most U. S. motormakers 1940 looked great. Some guestimated that 1940 output would jump 15% above 1939. With new cars priced a little lower than 1939's (but facing possible upward revisions), and with the public going strong for the advance models and ordering more, Detroit was sure its new four-wheel debutantes would not be left on the shelf.
Most widespread innovation for 1940 are the Sealed-Beam headlights on 95% of the models (result of cooperation between the industry, lamp & lens manufacturers). Lens, bulb and reflector are sealed into a single unit. The new lamps light the road without blinding. Another big development is the "Hydra-Matic" drive (see Oldsmobile), which dooms the clutch pedal, lets the accelerator control the car.
1940's beauties ballyhoo a multitude of little things: soft front-seat edges for comfort, better insulation against road-rumble, trigger-release parking brakes, direction signals and warning signals for low gas & oil, hot motor, faulty ignition, etc. Pointing up comfort, safety, economy, new models are generally longer, lower, wider, roomier, with increased visibility and lots more chromium. Steering column gearshift relegates to the archives the old wobble-stick. Running boards are mostly optional. Air-conditioned heaters are highly favored.
The 1940 list:
American Bantam, Tiny Tim of the streamliners (75 in. wheelbase), enters its third production year with a new Super 4 in two models: coupé & sedan, both convertibles. Prices: $399 to $449. Boast: "a revolutionary road-cling ride."
Buick has added two new series to its four stand-by straight-eights, claims 70 new mechanical achievements. It is lower, bolder-curved. Down in price from $17 to $281, it sells for $895 to $2,199 (lowest price range in company's history). Standard on some models are front & rear safety direction signals.
Cadillac offers 31 models in five series. New are the torpedo-type Sixty-Two, the Seventy-Two with six different sedan styles. Custom-built and unchanged are V-16s. Prices: $1,685 to $7,175
Chevrolet's 1940 series (Master Eighty-Five, Master De Luxe, Special De Luxe) are longer (by 4⅜ in.), wider, lower, bigger than any Chevrolet ever built. Prices: unannounced. Alligator-jaw hood locks automatically, unlocks only from the dashboard.