HERE is absolutely no doubt that the manufacture of automobiles has a lasting place among the principal industries of the United States. Its rise and progress during the last few years has been wonderfully rapid, but there has been nothing ephemeral in its character. The story to date since 1895 has been one of constant advancement. The manner of this progress has been reflected in the advertising published by the different makers. This advertising has not developed in a straight line, but in what might be termed a zigzag forward motion.

Since the early days there has been a good deal of "follow the leader" tactics observable in the announcements which have appeared in the magazines and newspapers, but the whole mass of advertising, if one could get it in convenient form for inspection, would faithfully portray the rapid change of the automobile from the experimental half toy to one of those indispensables which are inseparably welded to the necessities of the times and have become prominent factors in the advancement of civilization.

Previous to 1895 occasional machines were manufactured and advertised and these first announcements impress one as having been tentative and half apologetic, in keeping with public opinion of those days which argued that "horseless carriages" had no business on the public roads and streets, and that any attempt to manufacture them in a large way would be met by restrictive legislation which would render such enterprise extremely hazardous. As the industry advanced it was argued that the American people were prone to adopt fads and new pleasures with great enthusiasm and then throw them down hard to be repudiated forever after.

It was said that automobiling for pleasure would cease all of a sudden when perhaps least expected. And all this is suggested by the arguments used in advertisements of the manufacturers in 1900, 1901, and 1902.

We note that of the automobiles now in existence, the first ones to be regularly manufactured, advertised, sold and delivered included the Columbia electric, Duryea, Haynes-Apperson, Winton and Pittsburg (the last the forerunner of the present Autocar).

The makers of all these vehicles advertised in early issues of the Horseless Age (first published in 1895), the earliest paper to be established in the automobile class field in this country.

From its inception the industry has grown more rapidly than any other in the history of American enterprise and the amount of advertising has gathered volume accordingly.

Eight years ago there was practically no newspaper advertising of automobiles and comparatively little in the literary magazines and weeklies. In December, 1906, seven of the leading magazines alone contained 86 pages of automobile advertising and the New York daily newspapers during the months of September, October and November printed 375,839 lines of automobile advertising. At present the outlook appears to be more favorable than ever before for those who are striving to make the most effective application of invention and business ability to the construction and distribution of automobiles and this, so far as we can see, applies equally to the future of automobile advertising.

There is especially a brilliant future in sight for utility vehicles, such as runabouts, city carriages of coach types, delivery wagons and trucks. It may be asked what the prospect is for the use of automobiles by farmers and the an

swer is obvious. Already some of the leading manufacturers are making inquiry into the practicability of special forms of self-propelled vehicles for use in agricultural districts, and particularly on large farms of the West where long distances have to be covered by the owners, managers, and foremen on their tours of inspection.

Some modification of present designs for this special use is strongly indicated, and we confidently expect in the near future a part of the advertising of the more prominent makers will be designed to engage the attention of agriculturists. We do not here of course, refer to traction machines for the more rapid performance of actual farm work, which are already well established, but to cars intended for the conveyance of passengers.

Now a word as to the character of contemporary automobile advertising:

A year or two ago an enterprising advertising man sent out a circular letter to automobile manufacturers in which he claimed that no one car occupied a leading place in the automobile field for the reason that none was properly advertised. The current advertisements of the day, he said, all looked alike, said about the same thing, and were so similar generally that one would suppose them to be made up by the same person. None of them, he thought, was an eye catcher and none possessed any magnetic power of attraction; in fact, he thought automobile advertising in general was not the least convincing. In contradistinction he cited the leadership of certain cereals, soaps, washing powders, lamp chimneys, collars, whiskies, etc., as being due entirely to the originality and force of the advertising put out by their respective manufacturers.

It would be rather hard on any automobile to assume that its possible leadership would have to depend wholly on advertising, leaving the actual merit of the car entirely out of the question, but we must admit that a good deal of

ground exists to-day for the criticism this advertising man offered; for it is quite true that a great many automobile advertisements bear a close resemblance to one another, precisely as the automobiles themselves do; but we also note that the most successful automobile manufacturers to-day are among those who have done the best advertising.

Take up any leading magazine and look through the automobile advertisements. You will usually find a trademark and a cut of the car followed by more or less talk about reliability, progressive methods, perfection of construction, strength, durability, luxury, simplicity of operation, etc. Then some

thing follows about catalogues, the manufacturer's name, branch houses and so on. Almost any one of the advertisements to be thus classed would be strong if read alone by itself, but in the company of others closely resembling it, force and impressiveness are lost. Perhaps three or four of the leading makers are really original and convincing in their announcements, but at least a few of them could almost swap advertisements with each other and hardly lose thereby.

A notable exception to the general sameness of automobile advertising is found in the announcements of some of the electric carriage manufacturers whose respective lines differ from those of any other make and afford excellent opportunity for strong and convincing talk. This opportunity in one or two instances and especially by the Electric Vehicle Company, makers of Columbia electric and gasoline cars has been made much of. Credit must also be given certain manufacturers of gasoline cars, notably the makers of the Columbia, Franklin, Olds and one or two others who have taken advantage of special performances in the way of record runs, endurance contests, hill climbing feats, and so on, to set forth strong and telling arguments. Actual performances