From Here to There

Roundabout Road to Freedom

Not so long ago this department observed that the “bigness” of such automotive giants as General Motors, Ford and Chrysler was no menace to the consumer. The successful competition offered by the American Motors Co., which made astonishingly good profits on its line of”compact” Rambler cars at a time when Ford and Chrysler were actually going into the red, was offered here as evidence that the automobile field was still wide open to a company with a new idea offered at lower prices. J Now that the Ford Motor Co. has decided to go into the “compact” car-market on its own, the assertion that any really good “small” man can successfully challenge a giant will soon get its test. Mr. George Romney, the accomplished high wire performer of the American Motors Co., is right on the spot. Personally, this department thinks the daring young man will come through. The reason: Mr. Romney’s heart is in his theory, whereas Ford, GM and Chrysler will be working at cross purposes with their own market tradition when they add “compact” cars to their “big” lines.

JC

About the Author

John Chamberlain

John Chamberlain (1903–1995) was an American writer.

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Roundabout Road to Freedom

Not so long ago this department observed that the “bigness” of such automotive giants as General Motors, Ford and Chrysler was no menace to the consumer. The successful competition offered by the American Motors Co., which made astonishingly good profits on its line of”compact” Rambler cars at a time when Ford and Chrysler were actually going into the red, was offered here as evidence that the automobile field was still wide open to a company with a new idea offered at lower prices. J Now that the Ford Motor Co. has decided to go into the “compact” car-market on its own, the assertion that any really good “small” man can successfully challenge a giant will soon get its test. Mr. George Romney, the accomplished high wire performer of the American Motors Co., is right on the spot. Personally, this department thinks the daring young man will come through. The reason: Mr. Romney’s heart is in his theory, whereas Ford, GM and Chrysler will be working at cross purposes with their own market tradition when they add “compact” cars to their “big” lines.