The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-03-18
oNE-HALF OF 100000 CARS IN USE
TODAY ARE OPERATED FOR
BUSINESS PURPOSES.
OvERSTOCK UNLIKELY
For the Year Motor Car Industry Will
Have a Market of About 7,60oo 900
Buyers Point OF Saturation Years
In Future.

SO much has been written relative
to the development Of the motor car
industry and so many prophesies have
been yentured without proper consid-
Grafton Of vital and controlling factors,
that a clear and simple analysis Of the
subject may serve to dissipate much
Of the untounded conjecture.
The automobile market is divided
into two broad fields First the
rural class, which includes all persons
engaged in farming and others in var.
ious businesses who live in towns of
less than five hundred population. Sec.
ond, the urban class which comprises
all people in any but farming pur-
suits, who live in town of five hundred
or more population.
Million Farmers Own Cars.
In the rural or farming market.
there are 6,5OO,OOO families. One mill.
ion of these now own motor cars and
o4e and one.half millions are poor.
illiterate, or negroes, who for the pur-
pose of this study may be excluded
from the prospective buying class.
There remain, then, 100000 farm
families who are possible automobile
buyers.
In the urban class, covered by H..
OOO towns aud cities OF more than FIVE
hundred population, there are about
100000 home owners Of which mum
Der only 100000 now own cars. Ac-
cordingly there remain 100000 pros
pectiye buyers in this class, or a total
actual unsold market, in both rural
and urban classes of 100000 pos.
sible automobile buyers.
Average Life Of Car Years.
The accepted average life of an au-
tomobile is about five years in the
hands Of the original owners; and as
the man who once owns a car will not
thereafter be without one, We must
include the recorder market which in
the calendar year Of 1917 will be about
100000, this being twenty per cent of
the 100000 now in use.
For the year 1917, therefore, the au.
tomobile business will face a market
of about 100000 possible buyers. Not
more than 100000 cars will be built
in the coming year. leaving a possible
excess market Of 100000 buyers at
the beginning of 1918.
These figures are decidedly consor.
vatye because they take no considera.
tion Of OD any export outlet (2) the
people who have or will have two or
more machines; CD increased popula-
tion; (n increased prosperity; 90 a
million or more town and city families
who do not own the homes in which
they live but are well able TO buy and
maintain a motor car; C6) the business
houses, retail and wholesale merchants
who use thousands OF roadsters for
statesmen. and many thousands more
of delivery cars Irregular automobile
chassis with commercial body; ca tax.
icabs and other cars for public hire.
Million and Half Business Cars.
An important and noteworthy fact
is vouched for by the editorial de.
partment OF Automobile Topics" a
well known trade authority, which has
been making a careful analysis Of the
comparative nature OF automobile ser
vice. They state that Of the 100000
motor cars Of all kinds In service In
the United States today, they can con.
seryatyely say from their investiga.
ton that over one.half Of the mileage
of the 100000 cars is used for bust.
ness purposes. Literally, this means
that Of the 100000 automobile run.
ming In this country today one.half or
100000, are used for business pur.
poses. This leaves only one and n
half million in use for pleasure or so.
cial transportation purposes.
In considering the 100000 automo.
biles in use today which may be legitI.
mately classed as pleasure ears an
important fact should be borne I'm
mind namely; the so.called pleasure
car Of today has a distinct economic
use, It being only reasonable to de.
duce that the time and money spent
in motoring for pleasure or social In.
tercourse almost invariably takes the
place Of some other form OF expendi.