The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-02-16

good, the wonder being that the con-
giomerate mass can be assembled and
another wonder that the cars will run
after they are assembled.
You can imagine Just the predlca-
ment of the owner OF such car
when ne wants parts for repairs par
ticularly after the car Is a year or
more old eye.
Cars of this type are usually turned
out by concerns which hope to take
advantage Of the popularity OF the
automobile by filling in the shortage
caused by the demand for really good
cars being greater than the supply.
They are not blind TO the fact that a
goodly portion of new buyers are un-
familiar with motor car construction
and motor car values. Their hope of
success lies In the fact that they can
turn out something that has the APP
pearance of an automobile, something
that will actually rum and prObab bly,
make good demonstration. II may
even run well for several months. par
ticuIariy II handled with gloves" The
future a-of little concern. The motto
Is, Get the money. Get all you can.
but sell the car
Another purpose of the overprfce
and the long discount liz to enable the
dealer to allow what looks like a
/ liberal sum for a secondhand car. II
the man who trades In his second
hand car Will follow 1t up and see
what happens he will probably find
that the dealer who took 1t In will dis
! pose of It for several hundred dollars
| less than he allowed for 1t. = Fs@
/ Do you think he Is losing money
/ Hardly. The long discount he got or
i the new car was ample to take care
OF the reduction he made when selling
+ the second hand car and still ieavvt
him a good profit on the whole trans
action.
When a dealer offers TO split with
the customers, Ii In evidence on tins
| face OF 1t that he gets long discount
and that the car he is selling Is one
whose list price is purposeiy placed
high in order that the dealer may of
fer Inducements" inducements which
are a deiusion and snare.
Then comes the third class.
This comprises the cars that are
honestly built by makers of reputt
who have reputation at stake.
Such cars usually offer dollar fol
dollar value. They are listed at prices
which afford no more than Legitimate
margin of profit to the maker and Il
the distributor who takes an interes
! in the cars after they are sold ant
whose future success in business de
: ponds upon the service he renders Il
the users and upon the satisfaction
which the cars render to the owners
Il If a dealer Is handling an automo
bile that is honestly built and listes
at an honest price, the discount III
gets from the maker is no more thar
. sufficient to allow him the Legitimate
; margin of profit to which he Ia en-
titled and to enable him to render Il
t the purchaser the service which an,
automobile owner needs.
; The automobile dealer who gets NJ
"a ~
not afford to divide IL with the Gus
: toner and stay in business.
: An automobile dealer Ia in bushes
! for the same purpose that other PEG
: pie are--to make money, He viii
either make money or he viii have t
r go out Of business. IA,
r To be able To remain in business, HI
must sell his cars at "a profit TT HI
| is not going to remain In business hi
2 car would be q poor investment at an.
q price
. IL there is any one thing In which