Midyear Models

With two consecutive 7,000,000-car years behind it, the auto industry last week served notice that it expects and will try hard for a third. January production figures set an alltime record of 743,776 passenger cars, some 56,000 more than last January, and most auto divisions reported continuing record sales. But Detroit does not intend to rest on its records; it wants to make certain that the appetite of the U.S. consumer does not become jaded before the introduction of the drastically restyled 1965 models next fall. Last week all four U.S. automakers made new-model news.

Roomy & Racy. The most intriguing news was made by a new type of U.S. sports car that is inexpensive, roomy and racy. Confirming what everyone had expected, Ford Division Boss Leelacocca announced that Ford's River Rouge assembly plant in Dearborn would be shut down at week's end un til early March to change over to production of Ford's Mustang (TIME, June 14), scheduled to go on sale in mid-April. Available as hardtop or convertible, the Mustang is aimed at those who like the sports-car look but cannot afford Thunderbirds or Rivieras; it seats four, will sell for less than $2,500 for the six-cylinder version.

Not about to be left in the turn, Chrysler has a crash program to bring out its four-seater Barracuda by the time the Mustang is introduced. Priced to match the Mustang, the Barracuda uses a Valiant chassis and engine, but has a racy new Italianate body. At week's end American Motors introduced its new experimental sports car, called the Tarpon. It is the forerunner of a fastback four-seater that the com pany plans to introduce during the '65 model year. Designed more for comfort than for high performance, the new U.S. sports cars have heavier, larger bodies than their trimmer European counterparts.

Accidental Inspiration. Detroit's most different auto was presented last week by General Motors, which so far has announced no plans for its own sports car. In the first major station-wagon styling change in twelve years, G.M. introduced new Buick and Oldsmobile models with novel roof lines that look as if the wagon had been crossbred with a Greyhound Scenicruiser. G.M. engineers raised the rear two-thirds of the wagon roof by four inches, installed long narrow windows in the front and on the sides.

The vista dome is the byproduct of a search for something else. Three years ago, after surveys showed that auto buyers preferred the seating arrangement in Ford wagons (three forward-facing seats) to G.M.'s arrangement (two forward and one rear-facing seat), G.M. brass ordered Buick designers to match Ford's design. Ford was able to place its third seat over the rear axle and still leave headroom because it uses low slung leaf springs. But all G.M. autos use space-consuming coil springs on the rear axle and, to make things even more difficult, G.M. insisted on a fully upholstered rear seat. To provide the necessary headroom, Buick tried raising the roof, but that made the car appear top heavy. The next step was to raise the roof over only the second and third seats. This was better, but still not quite right. Then, inspiration! How about glassing in part of the raised roof section for a lighter and airier effect? Thus was the vista dome born.

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