MotorTrend April 1951

WHEN we asked you what YOU thought the Henry J convertible would look like (MOTOR TREND, Feb. ’51), we expected a number of good contest entries. We optimistically announced (in our rules) that the winning design would be published in the April 1951 issue. We weren’t counting on the terrific interest this car, and a design contest, would generate (although we should have known better from the Ford Anglia Body Design Contest). As it was, on the day before our final deadline for this issue we received 75 additional entries. This, of course, made it impossible to select a final winner and we are therefore postponing the announcement until our May issue. It is unfortunate that, due to world conditions, the Henry J convertible will not be built (see “Spotlight…

PERHAPS the most frequent question we’ve been asked in recent weeks has been, “Do you think that I’ll be able to get a new car if I wait a few more months?” This is a difficult question to answer, particularly since it has so many ramifications. In the first place, even top automotive men aren’t predicting how long they will be able to continue volume production. They’re in a position where they are going to produce anything the government asks them to and, at the same time, they must keep a watchful eye on the competition. One thing about new cars is a certainty: there won’t be as many of them around in a few months as there are now. And, inevitably, the proportion of people scrambling for them will…

Letters published in this department are the opinions of the writers and are not to be construed as those of the editors. Address correspondence to: Reader Reflections, MOTOR TREND, 1015 South La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles 35, California. FORECASTER BY PROXY Gentlemen: I have read your publication avidly since its launching some two years ago. [20 months old this issue.—Ed.] In my opinion it far outreaches in scope the modern automobile, classic cars, racing, and other information reporting done by any other auto publications to date. A particularly good job is being done in your reporting the performance and statistics of new automobiles manufactured in the United States. I follow with interest your column by Harry Cushing, “Spotlight on Detroit.” On several occasions I have mentioned information contained in it…

NOTE: In an effort to serve as a sounding board for complaints about new cars, MOTOR TREND inaugurated “Sound Off” in the October ’50 issue. In that issue and later issues we published excerpts from some of these letters so that we could do our share to acquaint automotive manufacturers with the likes and dislikes of the motoring public. If you have a complaint or suggestion for improvement, address your letter to “Sound Off,” MOTOR TREND, 1015 So. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles 35, Calif. Letters published are the opinions of the writers and are not to be construed as those of the editors.—Editor. HERE ARE the gripes about my new car—a 1950 Studebaker Champion without overdrive. (1) Excessive oil consumption, (2) front end will not stay in alignment for…

DETROIT, MICHIGAN—Barring all-out war in the next 10 months, there is an excellent possibility that the automotive industry will make substantially more cars in 1951 than previous estimates have indicated. Just how many cars will be built is a question no one here is aide to answer accurately as yet; but some mighty interesting forecasts are being made as the industry carries on the day-to-day task of sizing up the production job ahead…. Should, for instance, current production rates hold throughout the year, the car-buying public will find about 5,000,000 vehicles on the market in 1951. That is a reduction of only 25 per cent from last year’s record output. Some sources indicate this figure will be ample to meet essential civilian transportation needs…. Substantiating the optimistic viewpoint is the…

DURING the last war I was driving a ¾-ton Weapons Carrier to the front in Germany with the other men in our surveying crew as passengers. We had started the long drive at 11:30 that night and we figured it would take until sometime the next morning before we reached our destination. It was a clear cold night and the smooth highway was lined with large hardwood trees, typical in Europe. All of the other men were sleeping as we had been driving for several hours. I was very tired, too. I had had no sleep since the previous night, but I tried to force myself to stay awake by singing, smoking, or any other diversion I could think of. This kept up for some lime and I was sure…