Compact Competition

Studebaker-Packard Corp. raised the roof last week: to weather the hot competition coming from the Big Three's compact cars, Studebaker rolled out a Lark that is the only convertible among the 1960 U.S. compact cars, and the smallest (wheelbase: 108 1/2 in.) and lowest-priced (factory list: $2,176, plus extras, taxes, transport) of all the U.S. soft-top models. Studebaker also added a four-door, eight-passenger Lark station wagon that will list for $2,175, not counting taxes and transport. Optimistically, President Harold Churchill forecast that Studebaker's market will wing up by one-third in 1960, lifting Lark sales close to 200,000.

In a rival camp, Chevrolet's Boss Edward N. Cole showed off his compact, rear-engine Corvair. Compared with Ford's Falcon, the Corvair is shorter (wheelbase: 108 in. v. Falcon's 109 1/2 in.), lower (4 ft. 3 in. v. 4 ft. 6 1/2 in.) narrower (66.9 in. v. 70 in.), less powerful (80 h.p. v. 90 h.p.). Compared with the standard Chevy, the Corvair is one-third lighter (2,375 Ibs. v. 3,760 Ibs.), will burn 25% to 40% less gas, sell for about $225 less than the cheapest Chevy when it goes into the showrooms Oct. 2. Factory list prices begin at $1,860 for the four-door model, drop to $1,810 for a two-door that will be introduced early next year. Among the optional gear: automatic transmission ($135), gasoline heater (under $70). Counting taxes, transport and extras, a Corvair four-door will deliver in Manhattan for about $2,400, about the same as British and German imports in the Corvair's size and horsepower range.

Cole hopes to sell at least 300,000 Corvair '60s, plus 1,500,000 standard Chevies. If he does, he will beat 1955's alltime Chevy sales record of 1,720,000. He also expects the U.S. market to be big enough next year for all comers, big and small, to prosper. "Car sales for 1960," says Cole, "should be at least 6,900,000, including imports."

Pushing to clean up stocks before the compact cars come out, dealers cleared out 485,000 U.S.-made cars in August, 50% more than last year and the best August since the banner car sales year 1955. Thanks to the surge of buying, the backlog of unsold cars dropped to 725,000 on September 1, only a 39-day supply at current sales rates.

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