European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 25, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The by Owen Ullmann associated press Hei he curtain has gone up on the 1978 edition of the Auto Industry s travelling magic show. Among the top acts general motors will shrink its mid size cars by up to 18 inches and 800 pounds. The Vega will vanish and an Olds will take a gasoline engine and make it work on diesel fuel. Ford will turn a Comet into a Zephyr and pull extra fuel Economy from under the Hood. Chrysler will make a 19-foot Long two ton car disappear and put a 13l/2-foot, lv4-ton Model in its place. It will make four japanese imports appear where before there were two. American motors will change a Hornet into a Concord and make a bigger engine appear under a pacer s Hood. There s no real magic involved of course. But the changes in store for 1978 Are astonishing nevertheless As Detroit continues its rapid move toward smaller More fuel efficient vehicles. One of the few things that won t shrink Are prices. In fact they will grow by As much As six per cent or $400 a car on the average. The Industry blames the hikes on rising costs. The reason behind Detroit s incredible shrinking act is a Federal fuel Economy Law designed to conserve Energy supplies. The Law which Auto executives say robs them of their accustomed Freedom to give Consumers what they want requires the Industry to meet a minimum fuel Economy Standard of 18 Miles per gallon for 1978. Detroit Hopes its new Small models will attract enough customers particularly the would be import buyer so the companies can meet the fuel Standard in a free Market. Of course the Industry will try to steer buyers in the desired direction by jacking up prices on big cars and engines while showing pricing restraint on Small models. Even so trouble could develop if demand for big cars and engines exceeds projections while interest in smaller models continues to languish. That s what happened this year Swift sales of big cars and weakening demand for Detroit s Small cars while the mostly Small imports were setting sales records. If the same pattern occurs in the new Model year Detroit May have to limit production of big engines fuel draining options such As air conditioning or As a last resort big cars before the Model year ends. So if you Are determined to buy a big 1978 Model with a big engine you had better get your order in Early. The Law says All the cars a company builds in the Model year must average at least 18 . On a Fleet wide basis. So production of big cars must be balanced by output of Small ones violating the Law results in a stiff Fine of $5 for each one tenth of a mile under 18 . Times the number of Buick regal sport Coupe Only . Production car offered with a turbocharged engine. Cars built in the year. That would be about $1 million for tiny am and $25 million for giant pm. Missing by 1 . Would mean fines of $10 million and $250 million respectively. The 18 . Figure is just the beginning. The Law re quires gradual annual mileage increases until reaching 27.5 . In 1985. Am and pm should not have any difficulties meeting the 1978 Standard. Am already a Small car specialist has a Fleet aver age of 19 . Pm although a big car specialist has the Best mileage among the big three about 18 . Pm at a Cost of billions made its full size cars smaller and More fuel efficient for 1977, and has done the same with its intermediates for 1978. Pm s full size and intermediates will average Between 15 and 21 . So pm expects to sell All of those cars Itcan and still meet the Standard. Ford and Chrysler which Lack the Money to Rede sign their big cars As quickly will debut smaller continued on pages 12-13 1978 mid size cars Ford 1. New Small compacts 2. Conventional compacts 3. Convent intermediates general motors 4. Conventional compacts 5. New Small interred. Chrysler 6. Conventional compacts 7. Convent Small interred. 8. Convent intermediates american motors 9. Conventional compact 10. Conventional intermediate engine cylinders 4-6-8 6-8 8 6-8 6-8 6-8 6-8 6-8 6-8 6-8 wheelbase in inches 105 110 114-118 111 108 109-113 113 115-117 108 114-118 length in inches 194 198 215-219 197 193-201 192-201 203-206 213-225 184 210-219 1. Fairmont Zephyr. 2. Monarch Granada. 3. Cougar xr-7, Ltd ii thunderbird. 4. Nova Phoenix Omega Skylark. 5. Monte Carlo Chev Elle grand prix lemans Cutlass Century. 6. Volare Aspen. 7. Lebaron Diplomat. 8. Cordoba magnum Monaco fury Charger. 9. Concord. 10. Matador. Sunday september 25, 1977 the stars and stripes Page 9