FRONT WHEEL DRIVE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1066, 2 September 1930, Page 6

FRONT WHEEL DRIVE

ACTIVITY IN AMERICA Front-wheel drive is attracting great interest in America, according to a message from Detroit. Most of the activity seems to be just short of the announcement stage. If persistent merger rumours concerning four or five of the smaller automobile companies finally prove to be correct, contains the message, there is some reason to believe that front-wheel drive constructions might be incorporated in some or all of the cars involved in the combination. At least one big company is known to have been experimenting seriously with a front-wheel drive design for many months, and there are indications that a French front-drive patent has recently been acquired by one of the oldest passenger car companies in America. ONLY EXPENSIVE CARS Present indications are that any new front-drive cars likely to be announced during 1930, will be built to sell in America for something like £4OO or more, although it is possible that a lower-priced vehicle of this type might enter the market within the next twelve months. Eventually, at any rate, it seems inevitable that the front drive will invade the American price field around or under £2OO. There seems no likelyhood of a great number of makers changing. So long as this construction is confined to relatively expensive jobs, of course, it will not constitute any considerable proportion of total sales. In its price class, the biggest selling front-drive car now on the American market, has fared well for its first year.