Evening star., 1922-02-12

I AS the result of serious thought
| given the used car problem from
both the dealers and manufacturers
\ standpoints, H. H. Brooks, general
sales manager for the Nordyke and
Marmon Company, has evolved a plan
to eliminate the detrimental effect on
the industry from this cause. which
he recently outlined at meeting OF
| the National Automobile Chamber OF
Commerce. Mr.. Brooks realizes. along
with others, that the used car prob
lem is the manufacturers as well as
| the dealers to cope with.
Without going into the merits or
| dement's of the question of how the
used car has been allowed to become
| such detrimental factor in new car
| sales, MIR. Brooks offers what event
| ually may become the basis of con-
certed action among manufacturers
and dealers looking to final dispo-
sition of the specter once and for all.
Mr.. Brooks outlines his plan as fol-
| lows:
| stock Would BE Sold.
! II suggest that corporation be
| formed and operated under the super
vision of the manufacturers Of passen-
ger cars, the passenger car dealers
|
1 tion would be offered to any one de-
String to purchase it, but it should
| be issued on basis that Will assure
supervision as suggested. This cor:
! poration I would suggest be calico
! the. National Used Car Company: or
sole business of this corporation
would be to buy, recondition and sell
used cars. 1t would have a central
headquarters. with main branch
houses located in various zones
throughout the country. The number
of zones would be dependent upoi
geographical conditions and potential
xnrketa estimate the required
| numtcr will be between twenty and
/! thirty.
branches at Accessible Point.
These main branch houses to be in
reality reconditioninG plants. l men
ton geographical conditions because
1 think these reconditioning plants
should be located at points easily ac.
cessible overland, SO cars purchased
by the company could be driven IN
| stead of shipped Within each zone
I there would be located as many sub
| branches as necessary. These SUD-
! branches. however, to be purely re-
tail establishments. except that pro-
vision would be made for minor re-
pairs and adjustments on cars pur-
chased which did not require paint
ing or reconditioning. a great many
OF the cars purchased would be In
this class.
1.-The National Used Car Company
should buy old cars from those auto.
mobile owners purchasing new cars.
Impafrs Efficiency.
"The manufacturers should encour'
age the dealers to discontinue the
parctice of taking in old cars. ever
to the point of demanding this on the
ground that it is poor business. as i
impairs the dealers efficiency anc
finances, 100 per cent of which are
needed in developing the new cal
business. Many dealers contracts
now require them to hardle certain
make of car exclusively. or that cal
in conjunction only with certain other
cars of different class which the
manufacturer thinks will not con-
flict with sound merchandising of his
car. Dealing in used cars by our deal
ers is not sound merchandising. Why
then have we not the same right
each acting on his own Judgment
to contract with our dealers agains,
this practice?
The manufacturer explains that he il
not taking old cars in exchange fol
new ones. as he has no facilities fol
handling them. but that he has an ar.
rangement with the National Used
Car Company by which he assists ff
financing any used car purchased by
it. provided the owner purchases the