Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-03-20
JUDGMENT SHOWN
IN BUYING AUTOS
Economy a Strong Factor in Mind
of Prospect, Says Head of
Chalmers Company

IF the year 1918 is to be marked
by one tendency more than another in
automobile buying, that one thing,
believe will be greater discrimination
than ever before on the part of the
Automobile buying public" says Hugh
Chalmers, president of the Chalmers
Motor Company.
People these days are exercising
better judgment in their selection of
motor cars. They are far sighted,
They are choosing their cars on the
in the item of tire expense no longer
the logical way.
yhe difference of a few dollars in
first cost between one car and another
| is no longer the determining factor.
Neither is the difference of few dol
| lars one way or the other in the cost
of gasoline or oil during the course of
the year. Even the slight saving
which one car may show over another
| in the item of tire erpense no longer
clinches the decision of a motor car
buyer.
"It is the saving possible in repair
expense that is the big, important
saving. One way in which good de-
sign and good building evidence them
selves is by cutting down repair eX-
pense. One reason why some cars
are better than others is because they
do not roll up big repair bills.
| $50 when 1 predict that this year
| will be remembered as a year of econ
omy in the automobile industry, | do
not mean to imply that people will
buy lower priced cars than they did
before. First cost is only one phase
of the question, and wise motor car
buyers, when hesitating between two
cars of almost equal price will buy the
more expensive machine of the two
providing that car can show better
performance at lower all-round cost
of operation.
ITO the argument advanced in
favor of one car over another that it
is economical in gasoline consump-
| ton, the best thing to do is to admit
it-and add that in an entire season
the entire saving of one light Six for
instance over another in gasoline is
less than $25.
Economy in oil consumption is a
lstill less important item, for the
i greatest possible saving in oil expense
is a negligible factor.
Repair economy is the economy
THAT counts. One repair bill may
wipe, out all the saving of year in
gasoline and oil. That is why motor
lear buyers to-day are casting their
verdict in favor of cars that keep re-
pair expense at q minimum. There
are four things that people these days
look for when seeking motor car
economy which is real motor car
/, economy.
'In the first place, the car that is
, the most economical in the long rur
, must possess right construction. II
} puSt be we'll built. The workmanship
= in it must evidence painstaking care
r 1t must be absolutely accurate.
: CLOSELY associated with construc
{ ton is the matter of materials. So II
G 1.-THE second place, the really, economi
Y cal car must be built of high qualit!
: materials. The best car in the worle
t will not hold up unless the materials
y in it are also superior.
r MY third point suggests the ques
= tion of weight. I can dismiss the toe
: heavy car merely by stating that peo
= pie are not buying such cars any
: more. On the other hand, however
!, they should not run the risk of buy.
! ing a too-light car. In my opinion {
g too-light car is worse purchase thar
: one that 1t is too heavy. Surely, i
$ wears out more quickly. Right weight
, then, is the answer.
The matter of proper balance ant
scientific distribution of weight de
serves a place among the big four.
The car that is so designated and bull
is the car that provides better riding
comfort for o longer time, and hold:
the road more easily than any other
{ These, then, are the things tina
motor car buyers seek, because ii
these things are embodied true motoI
/ car economy. This year will be re
: membered as an economy year. b!
that 1 mean that it will be known a
the year of the newer and saner wa.
V of judging economy"