2
THE SUXDAY OREGONIAN, PORTL. AXD, JANUARY. 21 1917.
TOOT YOUR HORN LOUD AND LONG, FOR BIG SHOW OF NEW
AUTOMOBILES WILL OPEN AT THE ARMORY NEXT SATURDAY
Eighth Annual Show fer Portland Expected to Exceed in Brilliancy Anything That Has Been Attempted in Realms of Motordom in This Section Here
tofore. Special Sections Arranged for Higher-Priced and Low-Priced Cars and for Trucks.
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tsr UH15ST1SH A. MOOHES.
NOW. just as the automobile indus
try Is emerging from its 'teens
to dash forth swiftly on Its I Oth
year, comes Portland's eighth annual
Automobile Show, with more exhibitors,
more vehicles of perfection, more har
mony and more enthusiasm than have
ever before combined to make motor
car display time notable in Oregon.
Fifteen years ago the automobile was
an object ot curiosity; a decade back
it was the plaything for children of
fortune, bet today it Is just as neces
sary as the electric fan, the doctor
bouk or the school course in local ge
ography, and quite satisfactory as a
substitute for each and all. At the
Tresent moment there are more than
33,000 automobiles in Oregon, one for
very group of 25 persons, yet more
are arriving on each freight train and
the point of saturation has merely been
approached.
The person living In the year 1917
who doesn't own an automobile or pos
sess some sort of hold on a relative
or kind friend who does. Is entirely
out of luck, and he who doesn't feci
A hankering desire to own a vehicle
eome day that will place the great
out-of-doors at his elbow Is hardly a
human being, now Is he?
Show Opens Saturday.
When the curtain Is lifted on the
191T exhibition at the Armory building,
Tenth and Couch streets, at the stroke
ot 7:30 o'clock nest Saturday evening,
approximately 136 pleasure cars and
motor trucks will be on dress display,
with the selling organizations of some
40 Portland automobile firms in the
receiving line.
To make the matter of marketing
rn ire pleasant and more convenient for
the show visitor, all of the cars sell
ing for less than $1000 are to be
prouped In the ballroom on the second
lloor of the Armory, where the ac
cessories held forth last year, and all
of the motor trucks are to be placed
In a special, annex 48x150 feet in
dimensions, to be erected on th
Klevonth-street side of the Armory
building.
All of the machines selling for over
J1000 will be found in the main room,
with the exception of the Mitchell cars,
which are to divide space with 12th
hour entries and accessories, with Fred
Dundee's exhibit probably as the fea
ture, in the artillery-room, where the
motor trucks were stabled last year.
This arrangement was imperative In
view of the sharp demand for space
this year,
Quality Prime Consideration.
A year ago Portland staged Its larg
est show of history, with some 91 ve
hicles in the Armory, while this year
rpace has already been purchased for
108 pleasure cars and 28 trucks, a to
tal array of 136. with some yet to be
heard from. -
But It Isn't in size alone that this
year's exhibition may be differentiated
from the 1916 event. Then harmony
was conspicuous by its absence, with
a full-fledged auto show staged by
two of Portland's largest dealers la
the lobby of the Multnomah Hotel, and
with a few of the other big firms re
maining on the outside of the Armory.
Now every automobile dealer has
Joined the Dealers Motor Car Asso
ciation of Oregon, the organization
that is conducting the show, and each
and every dsaler, bar none, has his
foot on the accelerator to assist mat
ters In common as best he may- Ther
is no grouch, no grudge. Harmony
rules.
Joseph M. Rlg, who successfully
fruided the destinies of all previous
chows in Portland. Is manager in
charge again this year, with M. O. Wll
htns, president of the Dealers' Motor
Car Association, and a dealers show
committee, consisting of A. B. Manley,
chairman: H. U. Keats and A. G. Rush
light, acting In advisory and super
visory capacity.
Colors Are White and Bine.
lor the decorations this year Mtn
ae-r R1er has chosen white and blue
bunting for the ceilings, bnrlap tor
carpets and old-fashioned picket fences
as the means of laying out the wlda
aisles between the lighted square posts,
which, as in years past, will announce
the names of the various cars to be
seen in the respective booths. Potted
plants and palms will be stationed here
and there throughout the display
rooms, the decoration scheme being
planned for all of the display-rooms.
During the show period, which opens
next Saturday night, and. skipping
Sunday, endures until the following
Saturday night, the doors will be
wonder what special features or sensa
tions are in store for their eyes.
Twelve months ago. you will remem
ber, every next person was bothering
his head with making comparisons of
the IS, eight, six and four-cylinder
motors and not a few were predicting
without qualification that another year
would see lfi-cylinder engines. Others
carried the multiplication scale even
further.
But. To and behold, the 16-cylinder
motor has not arrived, and, though the
"12s'" and 8s" have certainly held their
own, being continued by the manufac-
............... .......... .........?
LIST OF EXHIBITORS AT PORTLAND'S AUTO SHOW AND
SPACE THEY HAVE RESERVED.
PLEASURE CARS.
Boss & Peake Company. Hudson and Maxwell dealers eight cars
Braly Auto Company, Franklin and Bcrlpps-Booth dealers. . .three cars
Covey Motor Car Company, Cadillac and Dodge dealers. .eight cars
Ford Motor Company, through seven retail dealers....... five cars
Oerlinger Motor Car, Chandler dealers..... 3H spaces
Howard Auto Company. Buick dealers. .................... five cars 4
H. L. Keats Auto Company, Chalmers dealers four cars 4
Manley Auto Company. Hunmobile. National. Grant dealers, .eieht cars t
H. L. Mann Motor Car Company, Haynes dealers four cars
Mitchell, Lewis. & "Staver, Mitchell car six cars
Northwest Auto Company, Reo, Cole, Marmon, Dort. ........ eight cars
Oakland Auto Company, Oakland .three cars 4
Oldsmobile Company of Oregon, Oldsmoblle. two cars 4
Oregon Motor Car Company, Studebaker, Locomobile.. six cars t
Overland Pacific Company, Overland, Willys-Knight seven cars t
Pacific KisselKar Branch, Kissel, Briscoe eight cars .1
Paige Motor Sales Company, Paige .four cars a
Plerce-Arrow Auto Company, Fierce-Arrow. .............. .three cars I
Saxon Motor Sales Company, Buxon .......................... four cars.
I. C. Warren Motor Car Company. Veils ZVj spaces
White Company, White car .two cars
Winton Company, Win ton.. three cars
MOTOR TRICKS.
Ballou & Wright. Smith Form-A-Truelt .two trucks
Columbia Carriage & Auto Company, G. U. C .....three trucks 4
Koerlng Machine Company, Stirling .three trucks
McCraken Motor Car Company, Moreland... ........two trucks I
Northwest Auto Company, Reo, Stewart, Indiana . ........ five trucks ' I
Oregon Motor Car Company, Den by, Loco, Studebaker. y. . .three trucks I
Pacific KisselKar Branch, Kissel, Federal ..four trucks I
Pierce-Arrow Auto Company, Pierce one truck 4
Roberts Motor Car Company, Republic. ................ .three trucks 4
White Company, White two trucks t
4
ADDITIONAL
AUTOMOBILE
NEWS
WILL BE FOUND
IN
SECTION FOUR
opened for the afternoon session be
tween 1:30 and 5:30 o'clock, and for the
evening session between 7:30 and 10:30
o'clock. An admission fee of 25 cents
will be charged all comers with the
probability that the entrance charge
will be Increased to 60 cents for so
ciety night, when dress suits and
choice wraps will be the rule. Man
ager Rieg's present inclination .is to
fix Friday night as the society occa
sion. A string orchestra has been en
gaged for the show period and vocal
selections will be given from time to
time.
Railroads Grant Rates.
Special rates have been granted by
the railroad and transportation com
panies and a large number of upstate
dealers will come to Portland tor con
ference with their distributing connec
tions during the show. In view of the
fact that the municipal auditorium will
be available for the show next year the
coming exhibition will probably be the
last to occur at the Armory, which has
for years been the scene of Portland's
annual motor car review.
It is estimated that the Portland au
tomobile firms are spending a total of
$10,000 on the 1917 show. They are
paying $3400 for display space alone
and the cost of getting special "Jobs"
here, of arranging their exhibits, to
gether with advertising and other costs
in connection with educating the gen
eral public as to their wares, runs the
total cost to $10,000. according to an
estimate g' 'en yesterday by President
Wilklns. The public may rest assured
that the show is to be conducted on
strict business principles with ample
bond insurance and they may feel as
secure in entering the Armory as they
would in stepping Into a permanent
business institution.
Insurance Takes) Out.
Insurance has been taken out by Man
ager Reig, for instance, to Insure the
dealers against loss during the time
their cars are being hoisted up to the
second floor ballroom by a special elec
tric motor. Several of the dealers, en
thused with full confidence In the
ability of their cars to climb up the
side of a wall, offered to drive their
cars up the stairway, but cooler heads
prevailed upon them to resign the
steering wheel In favor of the electric
motor and. thanks to the Insurance reg
ulations that gasoline must not be used
in the display rooms, the cooler beads
won out in the argument.
Naturally, as they anticipate step
ping from booth to booth at the Arm
ory, motor car fanciers probably will
turers, gossip has turned Its attention
to other matters and the show visitor
this year will not hear quarrels among
the salesmen who stand sponsor for
this and that type of motor. The situ
ation remains about as it was in the
matter of motors, with a particular field
open for each type of car. - The newest
departure in motors is the 16-valve,
four-cylinder engine brought out re
cently by the White Company, but the
probabilities are that the new White
motor will not arrive in Portland for
the show.
Surnrtsen Hinted At.
But there will be plenty to see at the
auto show in the way of improvements
and rumor has It that a few sensational
surprises are to be uncorked along
about Saturday night,
American engineering skill and coach
building ingenuity have spent them
selves along different avenues during
recent -months and as a result the feat
ures of the 1917 season are to be cen
tered around matters of appearance.
Motor cars perform better and better
as time advances, but the mechanical
attributes are alreadv so nea rl v ner-
fecf that neither the makers nor the
users worry much about utility any
longer. Both classes are fairly well
satisfied that the cars will do just about
any reasonable task to which they are
directed. Furthermore, the one chassis
Idea Is growing in popularity and the
experts have more time to spend on
details of architecture which have here
tofore been neglected, more or less, by
the rush to incorporate some favorite
mechanical design or device in advance
of the other factories. Now the prin
cipal aim of engineers Is simplicity.
The new body refinements pertain
especially to seating arrangements with
the idea of making passengers com
fortable by inviting them to sit as they
please, not. as In times past, as they
had to sit. Longer wheelbases have
provided more room for the front, as
well as the back and tonneau jack
eats, and the upholstery is deeper.
Kr Models Attractive.
Nattier, more graceful exteriors feat
ure nearly all of the new cars with all-
year tops and fancy painting Jobs
coming more and more Into vogue. A
few years ago all cars were painted in
a few conventional colors, but now the
Eastern craze for colorful cars Is com
mencing to take hold In Portland and
motor car dealers rejoice at the tend
ency because there is nothing which
spreads contagion of automoble fever
quite like a .bright, beautifully painted
motor car.
Oh. yes, another point should be men
tioned, though, of course, no one ever
concerns himself in this modern day
about the mere matter of money. Last
year, when cylinders were mounting
up, prices were still In the process of
going down, though manufacturers
quite frankly pointed out that prices
would have to rise unless the European
war came to a halt.
Of late months motor cars have
ascended steadily In price, due to the
scarcity and high cost of both materials
and labor. Virtually without exception
the cars cost more than they did a
year ago. The cardinal rules of arith
metic Indicate that the Increases for all
makes of car have struck an average
of $87 a car. so when you stalk the
aisles of the Armory next Saturday
night or during the following week you
had better take along at least $87 more
than you carried in your wallet last
year.
Will you do ItT
Exicle" Battery
EXCLUSIVE
FEATURES:
Unit, assembly, non-corrosive terminals, non
overflowing vent plugs. More capacity for size.
The Storage Battery Co.
343 Couch St.
OREGON DISTRIBUTORS
VEHICLE BATTERIES REPAIRED
BATTERIES FOR ALL CARS IN STOCK
ALL MAKES OF BATTERIES REPAIRED
SERVICE BATTERIES FURNISHED
The Verdict of the
otor Gar Users
reflected in the presenting of this gald medal.
M
- t
by the
International Jury of Awards
This award officially confirms and approves the
good opinion in which
1 VALVE-IN -HEAP
MOTOR CARS
have established themselves in the minds of the
motorists everywhere. All that the name Buick
signifies was taken into consideration when the
award was made.
See its latest expression at our salesrooms
now and the Auto Show Jan. 27 to Feb. 3.
H
oward Auto Co
FOURTEENTH AND DAVIS STREETS
Series "18
New Models Just Arrived
We urge every man who expects to buy a car,
no matter at what price, to see these New
Models before he decides. The greatest auto
mobile value on the market today.
SEE THESE NEW MODELS AT
THE AUTOMOBILE SHOW
Oregon Motor Car Company
Studebaker Distributors
BROADWAY 616
PARK AND DAVIS ST$.