The Washington times., 1917-02-17
Frank Discussion of Motor
Matters by The Times Auto
mobile Editor
AN UNPREJUDICED OPINION
A Column of Judgment on Is
sues Vital to Motor Car
Owners.
BY MONTE w. SOHN.


Prospective Purchaser OF used car.
A word with thee!
The automobile dealer has grown gray
and weary with you and your idiosyn-
crasies.
In short and poetic language you give
him untold misery in the vicinity OF his
collar-button.
II you think you are doing business
with robber bsrons and second-story
workers. don't buy a secondhand car.
The average automobile dealer, repre-
Senting an honest, responsible manufac-
turer cannot afford to,earn for himself
the sort OF notoriety that follows put
ting It over" the buyer OF a used car.
He has too much at stake in the sale
of his regular line Of new models
0The problem as TO whether a used
car is worth the dealers price is one
for you to settle.
individual Decision.
cars, it is~up to you to buy second
hand car only from a dealer OF estab-
lished reputation.
If you know what second hand cars
are worth. are fitted to Judge their
worth from your own observation, you
need no advice
But
Don't ask the dealer to take the car
up to THE BLINK MOTOR COMPANY
and let the BLINK service man, Jinks,
who is friend OF yours, pass judgment
on its value.
WHY?
Because in nine cases out OF ten Jinks
is going to get his" out OF your pur-
chase if he can.
THEREFORE
The Honest Dealer is going to get hot
under the E. & W. when you mention
Mr.. Jinks.
BECAUSE.
The H. D. has met Mr.. Jinks.
Jinks Mercenaryf
And in Most cases Mr.. Jinks is the
same mercenary person. =
OF course, YOUR Mr.. Jinks, is on
the level. He is passing Judgment
on your proposed used car purchase
because he likes the way you wear
your tie and the color OF your shirt.
He wouldn't THINK of accepting a
commission from the dealer on your
car
That is-unless you bought the
car
If you didn't buy the used car IN
question, maybe, MAYBE it would be
because. Mr.. Jinks didn't think. in
his expert Judgment, the car was
worth the price asked.
Or maybe, II would be because the
dealer wouldn't slip Mr.. Jinks any
commission.
/. J. Henderson. than whom there
is no squarer. cleaner dealer connect
ed with local motordom, is head of
the Washington Oakland Company.
We are indebted to him for the sug-
gestion OF this article.
Henderson has met Mr. Jinks-|
sometimes you spell it JinE-
Admission Free.
Mr.. II. does not cnarge the pros
pectiye used car purchaser a nickel to
view a second hand automobile. So
that. il he doesn't like It, he is under
no obligation TO buy II. He can go
away with an open mind and a happy
heart. Or, he can buy IL and do the
same thing.
But, Mr.. H. feels, and so do we,
that the prospective purchaser ought
to know something about cars. and
not be compelled to trust to the more
or less pre1udlced judgment of Mr..
Jinks, even If his name is Smith.
Even il Mr.. links should want TO
be truthful, he probably has some
narrow ideas about what is a good
car and what IS not. And we know
of several cases in which Mr.. Jinks-,
the ayman-didn't Anow a radiator
from a Perfection Heater.
SO, p. Purchaser OF the car that is
not so new, either judge 1t because
YOU know, or take IT on a demon
Etration and the reputable dealers
word,
Course Unavoidable.
II you persist in calling on Mr. links,
II you absolutely insist on dragging
Mr.. Jinks into your business. the Jinkses
will grow into such a family that the
dealer will face one, glaring. immutable
fact:
HE WILL HAVE TO BOOST THE
HONEST PRICE OF HIS SECOND
HAND CARS so AS TO TAKE CARE
OF YOUR MIR. JINKS.
II you are honest. take the reputable
dealer for what his good name Is worth
If you are not honest-which we must
not. for goodness sake assume-you will