The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-15
RICHMOND SUNDAY FEBRUARY 15 1914
A Page Devoted to the Automobile industry
PRESIDENT FORD
AND AUTO TRADE

- SD ~ ~ Z.
Detroit, February 14-when I look
toward the future and perceive what 1t
holds for tho automobile industry, my
eyes arc dazcd with Its radiant por-
tent" says Henry Ford. president OF
the Ford Motor Company '"ro my
mind the Industry Is In it's infancy.
! and cven tho most sanguine expecta-
tions of what the coming years will
hold are bound to DO surpassed by the
actually.
NO ono who has studied the growth
OF the automobile Industry can doubt
for minute but that its growth has
been moro remarkable In many ways
than That OF any other industry in
history In ten years the motto driven
vehicle has developed from so-called
freak to one of the most useful SER
wants of men
One should not forget either. that
this growth has been during the period
or experimentation and education. The
hrst motor car was crude affair
when Judged by the present-d day stand
ards. In fact, since the first car was
| put on tho market rcfnements and
| improvements have found their way
into tho product OF succeeding wears
until to-day the car Is. believe, nearly
perfect
People were inclined TO be very
much from Missouri during the first
few years OF tho industry Every time
car was sold 1t was an overcoming
of prejudice. Only tho very rich were
willing and could afford to own n car
The man with tho average income did
not have the price to risk on some
thing the benefits and leeep-up expense
OF which existed only In theory and had
yet to be demonstrated.
With the passing years the cars
have been improved and their price
lowered. with decreasing costs of oper-
alton, allowing evcr-incrcasing
number Of men to acquire them. Then
different cars began to have records
When an agent approached prospect
and attempted to make a sale he no
| longer had to contine his talk TO what
his company hoped tho car would do,
but could point out instance after in
stance what the car had actually done
and was doing
This record alcsmanship, backed up
by performances steadily battered down
the incredibly OF the buying public
and convinced them that the motor
car no longer was dream of y
: utopian method OF transportation. but
that II was an actual fact.
Already many OF the large COM
panies have records OF achievement 10
which they can point with pride, and
their companies cars accepted as
| reliable.
80 It is no longer necessary to con-
vince a man that motor car Is prac-
ticable. The whole selling problem
to-day is one OF the greatest value
and dcpendabiltty OF service for the
lowest price. In the car that combines
efficiency. continued service on the part
of the company and lowest price. the
man OF to-day finds his ideal vehicle
I "In the years to come there Will DO
no incredulous persons TO convince
that the motordriven vehicle is feast
bic. From now the question liz
simply one of quality. service and
price. Therefore. with this unhampcred
neld the coming years should see the
sales OF the past largely incr eased.
Motor car prospects. or people who
are or would be in tho market for n
car If tho matter were called 10 their
attention. are Just beginning to be
looked nftc. by the representatives OF
the different companies. Most OF tho
big companies have sold care they could
manufacture without any intensive
prospecting for prospects. The Ford
Motor Company for the last two years.
despite It's huge outputs. has sold Its
cars many months before tho end OF
its manufacturing year. and could hav"
sold many more had II been able to
build them. This year the same con-
dillon will be true.
To-day II does not aeem 10 DO much
of a question of selling cars as Il is of
building them in sufficient numbers
to supply the ever-increasing demand.
'Unquestionably the company that
lays proper stress on the service is
bound 10 grow rapidly with the years
No matter how good 81 car a concern
may turn out, II its service is defec-
tive. If it cannot furnish parts to re-
place without loss OF time. that com
pany will not succeed. The big com
pan,cs of the future Will be those that
hes!des manufacturing thoroughly
efficient car and low priced one, havo
best solved the service question.
There is another big factor that
each day is becoming stronger why
automobiles will be sold In ever-in
creasing quantities. For every good
road built. automobiles are sold. and
with the sale OF every automobile the
demand for more good roads increases
Mover before in history has
there been such concerted and world
wide demand for improved highways
as during the year just passed. Dis
tanccs are measured IN minutes, not in
miles. When that time comes, and II
is rapidly approaching, when poorly
constructed and maintained roads VIII
no longer be tolerated, all the world
VIII travel by motor car.
"As yet, hardly l per cent Of the
population OF the countries that manu-
tucturc the most cars travel in them,
despite the fact that the factories are
each year turning out capacity rroduc-
tons To the thinking, then, IL viii
plainly he seen that the motor car has
scarcely commenced its destined sor
vice"