Word: automen
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1950-1959
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Auto sales gave a concrete demonstration of the changing consumer attitude. Sales for the middle ten days of November took their steepest climb of the year to an average of 16,200 a day, about equal to November 1957. Since dealers so far have been handicapped by shortages, automen regard this as the first real test of the auto market, the biggest question mark in the 1959 economy. The Chase Manhattan Bank predicted sales of 5,500,000 to 6,500,000 cars. "Six million or more," it said, "would support a vigorous expansion of the entire economy...
...bill establishing National Safe Boating Week (at the request of his old service, the Coast Guard). The newsletters gave him a chance to sell his own ideas about issues on which the Sixth District was doubtful, among them reciprocal trade, which Chamberlain supported even though many Sixth District automen, fearful of foreign competition, were in opposition...
...What the automen offered instead was a two-year extension of the current contract, which would include an automatic annual wage boost of 7? an hour. Then, to emphasize its solidarity with the other companies and prevent whipsawing, G.M. pulled a surprise. It canceled its contract as of May 29. The move astounded and infuriated the U.A.W., which is now faced with an industry-wide shutdown if it strikes one of the companies, since all can refuse to operate without contracts. Roared Reuther: "They can't make us strike. We are not going to accommodate the industry by striking...
...Automen admit that they may have sold too hard in 1955's 7,200,000-car year, and borrowed too heavily from this year's market. They also feel that they made it easy to postpone getting a new car by producing cars more durable than ever. Since World War II, engineers have learned to build engines that run twice as long without an overhaul; brakes have twice the stopping power and twice (40,000 miles) the life; lights, springs, tires, steering, seats and upholstery are all vastly better. "It has become fashionable...
Whatever psychological forces are at work, the trend ever since 1946 has been to longer, wider, more futuristic cars-and more chrome ("jewelry" to automen). Those who bucked the trend usually rued the day. Henry Kaiser's small, chromeless Henry J. was a dismal failure. So was the drab 1954 Plymouth, which was 4 in. shorter than the year before. Sales dropped nearly 36% to only 381,000 cars a year. A year later Plymouth rolled out the longest (204 in.) car among the low-priced three and promptly boosted sales back up to 647,000 cars...