The Washington times., 1912-05-25
'OWN|NG MOTOR CAR
!. DOES NOT DEPEND
ON ONES SALARY
Upkeep of Automobile Com
pares to Horse and
Buggy.
Who ought to own an automobile? ?

VINO ought TO own an automoDlle!
This question was brought up recently
by a prominent automobile manufac-
turer IN discussing the problem of what
income would be necessary to justify
the maintenance Of motor car. In
commenting on the subject the manu-
facturer In question said:
ITO my mind the question of a mans
income does not enter into the question
t of whether he should buy an automo-
bale.
"Who ever heard Of a man being ex-
! trayagant because he owned a horse?
"As far as I know, a man always
bought horse because he needed 1t and
because II was a profitable investment.
Why an automobile should he purchased
! for any other reason is a mystery.
/ "A millionaire who purchases a high
priced car and has a chaueur should be
so because 1t is a profitable investment
Usually a miilionaires time is worth
! money and the automobile and the
chauffeur, he undoubtedly figures, are
| PAID for by the saving of time, and the
! luxury and convenience are procured
for little Or nothing extra. II the mil
lionane's car did not save him any
thing 1t would be just as extravagnt for
|, him as It would be for poor man to
buy a car which did not bring a return
on the money.
! Men Of all classes no matter what
their income, buy automobiles because
I they need them and because they either
save them time or actually have profit
returned by their use.
Statesmen, contractors, physicians,
, farmers, and every class of men who
have to go a great deal can make an
automobile pay, and therefore they buy
hnr xHftfh onxy IT NnnntdaT-
alton of what their income may be. In
other words, the great majority of peo-
pie who are using automobiles increase
their income thereby.
Autos More Economical.
:, IAN automobile Is purchased for iden-
tically the same reason that the horse
has been purchased, but 1t Is more
economical than the horse on account OF
the greater territory that can be COW
cred in less time. The low priced auto
, mobile today Is cheaper to own and
operate than a horse has ever been.
There are hundreds Of thousands OF
people today who should have an auto
mobile. That would be money saver
for them If they would only sit down
! and figure 1t out, but the consideration
! of how great an income man must
/ have to own car deters many from
making an investigation, and when au-
| tomobile manufacturers themselves In
sist on discussing the matter from this
angle It certainly isn't strange that the
| people who need an automobile and do
not have one should be looking at the
| matter from the same standpoint.
81 have been connected with the auto
mobile business from the beginning,
have been associated with the oompan-
I les producing the largest number OF
! oars, and therefore have been able to
meet and talk with thousands Of own
"A man who owned an automobile
, and did not make 1t a profitable invest
ment was rare. indeed, and the few
; exceptions that came under that head
soon sold their cars.
Costs Only $40 the Month.
1T Is a positive fact that the light
cars of today, and this covers the whole
class selling at less than $1,000. are be-
ing operated at a cost of about SO per
month on the average where the owner
takes care Of his machine.
"The light American cars, weighing
completely equipped and filled with
water and oil, 800 pounds or less, using
three and one.half Inch tires are aver
aging 1000 miles for each 500 tire eX-
pense, or In other words, one"tenth Of a
cent a mile. The cost Ct repairs varies
with. drivers. Ths careful driver look
seeT in s this own reasa ana mas @
10,0J0 miles would be a liberal average
on the cars of this class.
Allowing 6 per cent interest for a
mans investment on car at $1,000.
amounts to IS per moath.
"Tt can. therefore, be seen that an au-
tomobile could be driven 1000 miles Z
month at an operating exrense OF $lo;
for oil, figuring twenty miles to a gal
lon Of gasolcne at Is cents per gallon.
Then allowing for tire expense, IS repSir
total would be $50 per month. The
ABOVE expense would operate 1000 to
z, 2,4on-pound car carrying five people:
Lighter touring cars could be operated
for less and runaboLts for a still small
er amount.
"I am told that a horse is not ex-
pected to cover over twenty to twenty
five miles a day, and that he cannot be
fed. shoed and doctored for less than
SIS a month.
"So 1t will be seen that q horse and
q single wagon cost more to operate
than a hve-passenger automobile, and
that a two-passenger automobile is far
ak