West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-03-11
Care In Buying Automobiles

IF the year 1915 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 au-
tomobile 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
basis OF the economy they will secure
In the long run--which. after an. rs
the logical way
The difference of few dollars in
first cost between one car aud another
Is no longer the determining factor.
Neither is the difference OF a few dol
lars one way or the other I'm 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 expense no longer
clinches the decision OF motor car
buyer.
1T is the saving possible i'm repair
expense that is the big. important
saving. One way in which good design
and good building evidence themselves
is by cutting down repair expense.
One reason why some cars are better
than others is because they do not
roll up big repair bills.
$50 when / predict that this year
VIII he remembered as year OF econ
omy in the automobile industry, l do
not mean to imply that people will
buy lower priced cars than they did
before. First cost Is 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 pro-
vsding that car can show better per-
formance at a lower all-around cost
OF operation.
To the argument advanced I'm favor
OF one car over another that Il is eco
nomical In gasoline consumption, the
best thing TO do is TO admit it-and
add that in an entire season the en-
tire saving OF one light SIX for in
stance. over another in gasoline is less
than $25.
Economy in oil consumption is a
still less important item, for the great
est possible saving I'm oil expense is q
negligible factor.
Repair economy is the economy
that counts. One repair bill may wipe
out all the saving of a year I'm gaso-
line and oil. That is why motor car
buyers today are casting their verdict
In favor of cars that keep repair
expense at minimum. There are four
things that people these days look for
when seeking motor car economy
In the first place, the car that is the
most economical in the long run must
possess right construction. II must
be well built. The workmanship in IL
must evidence painstaking care; It
must be absolutely accurate.
CLOSELY associated with construc-
tion is the matter of materials. SO in
the second place. the really. economi-
cal car must be built OF high quality
materials. The best car I'm the world
will not hold up unless the materials
In it are also superior.
MY third point suggests the ques-
ton Of weight. / can dismiss the too
heavy car by merely 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 too-light car. In my opinion
too-light car is worse purchase than
one that is too heavy. Surely IL wears
out more quickly. Right weight, then,
Is the answer.
"The matter of proper balance and
scientific distribution OF weight de-
serves a place among the big four
The car that is so designed and built
is the car that provides better riding
comfort for longer time, and holds
the road more easily than any other.
These, then, are the things that
motor car buyers seek, because i'm
these things are embodied true motor
car economy. This year will be re-
membered as an economy year. BY
that mean that it will be known as
the year of the newer and saner way
of Judging economy"