The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-19
AUTO NO LONGER
LUXURY TO Man
Is Now Recognized as Necessity
Offers the Only Solution to
Individual Transportation.
AGE OF THE AUTOMOBILE.
--
Moderate Priced Cars Cost a Sur
prisingly Small Sum to
Maintain.
Is Now Recognized as Necessity
AGE OF THE AUTOMOBILE

President Taft recently stated that
I'VE are living In the automobile age. .
And il Is true; hut not In the sense
meant by our President. who ctted
an automobile ~ q typical example
of high living among American citi-
Gems Yet thiss statement of Prest-
dent Tafts II an INDICATION OF the
way the automobiie is looked upon
-ky-ahealAasas OF people throughout
the United States
II il fact. and the fact Is to be
deplored. that the great mass OF peo-
pie have not kept pace with the de-
veiopment of the automobile. Only
few years ago the automobile was
an experiment. To-day II offers the
only solution to Individual transpor-
tation. IT Is undoubtedly true that
during It's stage Of Development the
motor car was perhaps rightly class
ed az d luxury, to be enjoyed by the
privileged few. and popular imprea-
sion sticks.
People do not realize that while
the human mind clings 10 the notion
that automobiles are extravaEant to
keep designers have been working and
perfecting automobiles to . point that
has reduced the cost OF running one
to very low figure.
There are literally thousands OF
people who have never seriously cen
stdered owning y car. Not because
they could not AFFORD to buy one.
bat because thcy could not Mlrord 70
keep one. And this thought is fos-
tered by the impressions that existed
some eight years ago and il not has
ed upon the automobile AZ Il exists
now.
There are sold avery year In the
United States about 100. 900 two-pas-
senger buggies. and II he fact that
there are several runabouts selling ut
around 1900. which are not only
cheaper to keep, but do the work Of
two or even three hours: and there
are well-made. reliable touring ears
selling for $500 that cost sarpris-
lngiy little to run per week.
Automobile manufacturers tho are
making high priced cars do not con-
stitute the automobile industry. AZ
q matter OF fact they are but . COM
paraftveiy small part OK 1t. Cars
which cost $4,000 and 5000 might
be styled = luxury. and al such there
viii always be nArket for them. But
today Il the day or the moderate
priced oar. II PROOF were necessary
we only hGye To poins IL our West
ern farmers. where 1vax the NEST
modest fuses the autonlobiis of mod
crate price. n III X
why should the autosnpbile 10 cit
I'd 40 an example u tbs estrava-
giant? Why should u Ne cited any
mere than the piano. which IL found
IN almost every home doubt II
any one single invention has dunc
any more AZ whole than the auto
IaobiIe. II has opened mp new ter
rftory: II has started the x0Dd roads
II puts the man ltVinx Ii
the suburban town In eaxy touch with
his City office.
Then, take the CASE " phyeaciAns
The country doctor Is adopting the
automchlle almost y the exclusion
of the horse. And 80 Il y IN eiMost
avery walk Of life, The modsrates
priced car u becoming more and
more 4 fnnt0r, That's whysI believe
the automobile 10 not d luxury but q
necesntty. and one whose Maetuinass
VIII be unlimited when the people
a. = whofe appreciate the trenren-
tasnS Ntti<lU nnlk<lt III the rfrtxn1fRcturss
ok u1ode<ate-pric1d Cars