Facts & Figures

Icebreaker. With a proud blare of horns, Packard Motor Car Co. last week drove out its new cars, thus became the first motormaker to put 1948 models on the market. The new models were radically different from the '47; gone was the distinctive Packard hood, the company's trademark for more than 40 years. Packards now have rounded hoods and wide, square bodies, forecast by the '48 convertible model put out last spring. Although some models, which range in price from $2,125 to $4,668, will cost more than their predecessors, two of them will be cheaper. Notable was Packard's smooth production switchover, accomplished without a single day's loss in production.

Bets Closed. The Ford Motor Co.'s pension plan was finally voted down by the U.A.W.-C.I.O. in favor of an immediate 15-c--an-hour raise (TIME, Sept. 29). The increase, said U.A.W., gave Ford the highest wage scale in the industry, $1.52 an hour, and 7-c- above the industry average. The same week, 19 of Ford's well-heeled employees were fired for gambling during working hours.

Fame. As a promotion stunt, Porters, a furniture store in Racine, Wis., has lent umbrellas to some 7,000 shoppers marooned by rain. Gratefully, all but three of the shoppers have returned the umbrellas. Porters' reward: A pat on the back from the American Education Press's My Weekly Reader, which cited this as an example of the inherent honesty of the public.

Janus the Owl. In Decatur, Ill., the Starling Pest Control Co. was selling an odd item--a two-faced aluminum bird. The price: $10. The company said that when placed in trees or on buildings, its metal owls would frighten pestiferous starlings away. It boasted that an owl placed every half-block was enough.

Guest Appearance. Nine-goal Winston Guest,* who once helped U.S.-Mexican relations by playing in exhibition matches against Mexico's national polo team, made his 22nd postwar trip to Mexico--this time as president of its first transatlantic airline--Aerovias Guest, S.A. With capital supplied by Guest and his U.S. and Mexican friends, the line has bought one Constellation, hopes to buy two more. Aerovias Guest plans to fly passengers between Mexico City, Lisbon and Madrid (eventually also to Paris and London), via Miami, Bermuda and the Azores.

Four of a Kind. The Kaiser-Frazer Corp. rolled out its 100,000th car. It announced that a custom-built Kaiser luxury sedan ($2,301 F.O.B. Willow Run) would be added to its three models.

* Second cousin to Winston Churchill, no kin to Rhymester Edgar ("It takes a heap o' livin' ") Guest.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.