Baby Reborn

Eight months after the stockmarket crash of 1929, the first American Austin scooted out of a factory at Butler, Pa. Copied from the immensely popular British Austin, it was 28 inches shorter than the smallest standard car, came up to a man's chin, cost $445 f. o. b. Butler. It ran 40 mi. on a gallon of gasoline, achieved a speed of 50 m. p. h. Two strong men could lift it into any 10-ft. parking space.

Few products ever received more spontaneous publicity. The first Austins were in constant danger of being upset by crowds. Smart businessmen sent them cruising the streets to advertise their wares. Funnysheets pictured them slipping under trucks, causing tall men to trip. For a while this publicity had all the advantages of the Ford joke, and orders ran three months ahead of production. But when pranksters took to driving them into ballrooms and down fire escapes, the U. S. public decided that "Baby Austins" were silly, would not be seen in them.

There were other reasons, too, why sales fell off in 1934. An Austin cost almost as much as a Ford or Chevrolet. Over long distances at high speeds it was uncomfortable. It was at a dangerous disadvantage in collisions. Austin was cut out to be a supplementary car, useful in cities or on big estates. Depression wiped out that market.

Last year American Austin Car Co., having lost money every year since it started, applied for reorganization under Section 77b of the Bankruptcy Act. Austins continued to straggle out of the Butler plant until last December. Then the plant closed, orphaning what remained of the 20,000 Austins which had taken the road.

Into this gloomy scene came an ebullient young man named Roy S. Evans who sells automobiles in Atlanta, Ga. Last week he acquired American Austin Car Co. by an outlay of just $5,000. In addition he assumed a $150,000 mortgage on the plant, $40,000 in overdue interest, $35,000 in unpaid taxes. Automan Evans said he and his associates would buy $250,000 worth of new machinery. "Within ten days," he announced, "we expect to have ready enough parts for the 10,000 Austins now running. Then we will swing into making new cars. Within a year's time we expect to invade the foreign fields."

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