Europeans Now Rank Second in Body Building

Washington Times-Herald
December 31, 1922

Salon Just Completed in New York Proves America in Ascendancy.

That America is now unsurpassed in the art of motor car body building was demonstrated to the satisfaction of automotive authorities at the luxurious automobile salon which has just drawn to a close in New York City, according to William N. Davis, Cadillac body engineer, who attended the salon.

The most exclusive of New York's automobile shows, held this year at the Hotel Commodore, serves as a preface de luxe to the National Automobile Show in January.

Twelve American body builders exhibited a total of thirty-five examples of coach, eight of which were shown on Cadillac chassis.

Eighteen years ago representatives of foreign cars conceived the idea of having a show all by themselves to which only the elite of Gotham should be invited. These pioneers found little competition along Gotham's auto row, because American manufacturers were busy producing standard cars.

Recently all has changed. Custom body designing has improved by leaps and bounds, and now the products of United States designers are shown side by side with the most luxurious creations of the European motor world.

In addition to the foreign cars shown at the recent salon, leading American custom coach builders displayed their products upon chassis of both American and foreign manufacture. Among the bodies made in this country and displayed on Cadillac chassis were creations by such internationally known carrosseriers as Fleetwood, Healey, Holbrook and Judkins.