The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-09-09
AUTOMOBILE NEWS

The average man of moderate means
 having sons, is confronted nowadays
 by a pretty serious problem. The
 question, What to do with my boy?"
 is bothering a good many fathers right
 now.
 While there is always room for ; bright men in the professions of law, medicine, etc, nevertheless the cost of preparing for such professions is con- siderable. to say nothing of the time required, during which the boy brings in no income whatsoever.
 The tremendous prosperity of the automobile business opens up a field that is far from overcrowded, and with
 the number of cars in use increasing by leaps and bounds, it is not surpris- ing that chauffeuring holds out a very
 bright future for the young man who
 has not yet made his start, as well as
 for the one who finds himself unable
 to get ahead in the older and more
 crowded occupations.
 Broadly speaking, the automobile
 business can be divided into three clas-
 ses. First, the professional chauffeur; second, the factory or garage repair
 man; and third, the automobile sales man.
 The constantly increasing use of mo- tor trucks points out another field, the surface of which has, at the present
 time, been scarcely scratched. The demand for chauffeurs has been so enormous during the past few years, and the salaries paid have been SO, comparatively high that unfortunately it has attracted class of men who have gone into the business entirely
 unprepared for the responsibilities of
 driving high priced machine. Therefore, it is not surprising that automobile owners are inquiring pret- ty carefully into the character of the
 men with whom they entrust, not only
 their own lives. but the lives of their
 families and friends.
 This being the case, boys who have lived away from the great cities are | being looked upon with especial fa- ] vor," says Allen Grant. a mechanical engineer, "and automobile owners are | learning that such men make better
 chauffeurs than the, usual hangers on about garages"
 The demand is so great, and the op- portunities so good for men who will train themselves for this work, that
 MT. Grant has prepared leaflet out | lining the opportunities of the automo- | bile business for young men, and the
 methods of qualifying for same. A I copy can be had by addressing him at
 Tarrytown, New York.
 Several years ago Henry Ford as- | tonished the automobile world by
 bringing out a practical car for under $500. His latest coup is none the less
 striking, for with 2 single sweep he has overturned the established prac tice of automobile selling, by doing
 away with exclusive dealers. and per- hitting any dealer with the proper 1 qualifications to sell Ford cars. | It is difficult to foresee at this time what the effect of this radical change
 will be on the automobile business. but l it is safe to say that other manufac-
 turers, particularly of popular priced cars will have to come to this method. | The exclusive agency is losing ground in almost every line of mer- chandising, and why should the auto | mobile be an exception to the rule? Why should John Jones be compelled | to buy his automobile from Bill Smith,
 if he would rather buy it from some other dealer?
 | Henry Ford's plan will stimulate the automobile business everywhere. but further than that, it is going to boom local newspaper advertising to an ex- tent that few people realize at the present time. Heretofore the major7 | ity of automobile manufacturers have
 spent a large part of their advertising appropriations in the general maga- zines and national weeklies. The local dealer, having an exclusive agency, has 1 been content to let this national ad- vertising make the sales for him. | knowing that buyers in this territory
 must eventually comepto him.
 Now, however. t4s condition is
 changed as far as F4rd is concerned. l Therefore, each Ford dealer will have to bid for patronage against other To- cal dealers, and the one offering the l best service, and telling the public about it in the most forcible way through the columns of his local pa pers, is the one that is going to get the largest share of the business. We believe that it is merely ques- ton of time when other manufacturers will be forced to the same method or merchandising their cars, for no man. ufacturer can afford to overlook the accumulative selling force of local ad- vertising, pushed aggresslvely by two or y,,ora doa Iers in the same town.