European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 17, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday May 17, 1977 the stars and stripes Pago s car trends americans not about to give up big buggies but shift to smaller types has already set in Yowe Nullman Detroit a Energy crisis or not. Americans Are not about to give up their cars and the life styles their Auto mobility has created. The tremendous demand this year for new cars primarily big ones is evidence of thai. Slowly though the motoring Public and the Industry which put the nation on wheels Are changing course. Cars Are getting smaller. So Are engines. And. If president Carter s controversial gasoline tax is approved by Congress people May drive fewer Miles. The trend toward smaller lighter less powerful and More fuel efficient vehicles has been a major Industry goal for a decade. It was spurred by the Mideast Oil embargo in 1973, and is being accelerated again by Federal fuel Economy Laws. Carter s proposed tax on Gas guzzlers and rebates for fuel efficient models will provide new incentives to think Small. Lightweight engines by 1985, according to Industry forecast ers the average new car will be about the size of today s compact 16 to 17 feet Long a Little Over 144 tons in weight Able to seat four or five adults comfortably and with a lightweight four or six Cylinder engine electronically controlled to deliver More than 25 Miles to the gallon of gasoline. Compare that with today s biggest land cruisers 2 4 tons of sculptured steel Iron Chrome and plastic stretching 19 to 20 feet from nose to rear with room for six and powered by a huge fuel slurping eight Cylinder engine that provides 12  still will be some big family size cars in 1985. They won t be As Large As today s Road hogs though and they la be powered by efficient pics cos or other newly designed engines. Their bodies May be composed of exotic lightweight materials. Beyond 1985. The possibilities arc mind boggling. Electric cars May be the Princi pal Mode of transportation in the 1990s if a lightweight Battery Able to hold a Long charge can be  electronics electronics certainly will play a greater role in tomorrow s automobile replacing heavy space wasting mechanical components with Small lightweight and precise minicomputers and microprocessors con trolling steering braking acceleration and other  fuels May replace gasoline Aspe troneum becomes scarce. Among those now being tested Are water propane Hydrogen alcohol and. Yes even Peanut Oil. While Detroit s futurists differ in some regards they All agree the automobile will remain the dominant form of transportation in this country for at least the remain Der of the  forecasters say Carter s Energy program will Dampen new car sales by about 300,000 units a year Between 1978 and 198010 11 million. The record of 11.4 million was set in 1973.optimistic View Industry optimists say even with in creased government regulation car sales could approach 14 million by 1985, and inc number of vehicles on the Road will Rise 20 percent from today s Levels to 120 million. Small car sales have been on the Rise in this country since the 1950s. By 1960, euro Pean imports and Domestic compacts such As the valiant Falcon and Corvair accounted for a Quarter of the  were becoming More affluent. Those who owned one car bought a second one often a Small Model. Younger people who could t afford a car before found they could afford a Little one. The Small car Market remained at about a 25 per con share through the 1960s. By 1970. Inflation had  the big car out of Many americans reach so they turned to Low priced imports Many now from Japan. Detroit countered with its subcompact Gremlin Vega and Pinto. Before the Oil embargo in the fall of 1973, Small cars compact in size and under held More than a third of the new car marketing 1975. In the aftermath of the Energy crisis and recession Small cars had taken More than half the Market. It was a Tempo Rary aberration exaggerated by hysteria Over Long lines at Gas stations skyrocket ing fuel prices fears of future Gas Short Ages and a recession which pinched Consumers pocketbooks. As the economic storm Clouds dissipated in 1976, Consumers returned to their Normal habits. Traditional big car buyers who Sal out of the Market for two years showed up at dealers while Small car buyers who rushed out and bought a fuel stingy Model during the mid-70s had no plans to Trade for a new car for another few years. As a result the Small car share of the Market has dropped off to about 45 per cent. The Industry says that s exactly where the Long term Small car growth trend would be today if there had been no Oil embargo. Today demand for new models is strongest at the extremes big cars with big engines Are being grabbed by those who believe this is their fast Chance to buy a full size Model. Low priced fuel stingy imports Are Selling in record numbers to americans who either can t afford a big car or Are conserving Energy voluntarily without waiting for a congressional mandate. For those who would continue to build sell and buy Gas guzzling cars Congress wave of the future some forecasters say electric cars May be the chief Mode of transportation in the 1990s if a lightweight Battery Able to hold a Long charge can be developed. This electric car is general motors seeks Job flexibility latest experimental Type designate the xp512e, with a Range of 50 Miles and lop Speed of 40 Miles an hour still a far cry from pm i goal of 100 Miles an Speed Otso . Up1 photo Proxmire wants More women in services had passed one Law and is considering an other proposed by Carter. The current Law requires Detroit to meet a minimum fuel Economy Standard which begins in 1978 and toughens each year through 1985. All 1978 cars produced by each company must average at least 18 . That allows a firm to build some cars that get Only 12 . But it must also build enough models getting 24 . To meet the average. The penalty for missing the Standard even by one tenth ., could run into millions of  intentional violation even if it were profitable to sell big cars and pay the Fine Industry officials have said their firms would not intentionally break the Law. The Standard is 19 . For 1979, 20 . In 1980 and reaches 27.5 . In1985. Just to reach inc 18 . Mark the Industry has had to revamp its cars which averaged Only about 12 . In 1972. Gen eral motors made its full size cars smaller for 1977 and will do the same to its intermediates for 1978. Ford and Chrysler also plan to replace big cars with smaller ver Sions and drop their least efficient models. In addition Detroit has been bringing out new roomier compacts and sub com pacts with smaller engines. It s All part of a Well planned strategy to Case americ behind inc wheel of a smaller car without creating a sudden dramatic Shock that could result in lost sales. Limited number of biggies the Industry argues that a tax on Gas guzzlers and rebate on fuel stingy models is unnecessary because the fuel Economy Laws will achieve Carter s Energy Conser vation objectives. No matter what the demand Detroit will be Able to build Only a limited number of big cars and still Meel the mileage figures. The tax rebate plan which has a Good Chance of passing Congress lets Consumers go on buying All the big cars they want if they pay the Price and they surely will Del roil says. The tax rebate plan would affect new cars retroactive to May 1. Ii would Start at $52 for cars getting less than 18 . And increase to a maximum $449 on those with less than 13 . Detroit is not expected to Noil any 1978 cars Wilh that Low a rating  tax gets stiffer each year reaching $2.488 on 1985 models gelling less than 12.5 . Again academic since the Indus try won t be building such Gas guzzlers. A maximum rebate of nearly $500 will go with cars getting 39 or More . Through 1985. Washington a sen. William Proxmire a wis wants Congress to Clear the Way for More jobs for women in the military services. Proxmire announced sunday he will pro pose an amendment to the annual military procurement and manpower authorization Bill to authorize the Secretary of defense to open up new jobs for women in noncombat roles in the army. Navy and air Force. Current Law prohibits women from engaging in combat but Proxmire said the military services have extended the ban to Many noncombat duties the Senate was to take up the $36 billion Bill monday. The Wisconsin senator said his Amend ment would allow women to be assigned to permanent duty on Hospital ships and transport ships not Likely to he used for combat missions and to other noncombat vessels on a temporary basis. He said it would permit women to work As pilots and navigators in the air Force on a permanent basis in noncombat situations and to become missile launch control officers. In the army he said women could be assigned to currently restricted Obs in tac tical communications and missile repair. To Nde utilization of women in the Mili tary costs our nation in terms of dollars and military effectiveness Proxmire contended. " women have a much better retention rate and therefore save Money on training they can release men for front line duties in time of  of time May 17, 1947 the director for the Omagh office of military government Hesse or. James Newman told the German people that useless and sense less agitation Over the critical food Situa Tion would not be tolerated by the military government. He told the germans to tighten your  17, 1957 Adolf Hitler s economic minister Walthur Funk was released from Spandau War crimes prison after serving eight years on a life sentence. He was released on account of advanced age and the state of his  May 17, 1967 Secretary of defense Robert s. Mcnamara announced that president Johnson mrs. John f. Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy will participate in the launching of the aircraft Carrier John f. Kennedy scheduled for May 27