Arizona republican., 1922-01-22
DODGE BROTHERS
PRICES REDUCED

The following article regarding the
new price of Dodge Brothers Motor
Cars appeared on January 10 in all
the leading New York newspapers:
Fifteen hundred Dodge Brothers
dealers were surprised to learn that
the prices of Dodge Brothers motor
cars were reduced in effect on jan
uary 1st. Official announcement of
the reduction, the form and nature
of which caused a sensation in auto
mobile circle. was made by F. ].
Haynes, president and general man
ager of Dodge Brothers, at the
eighth annual meeting and luncheon
of Dodge Brothers dealers in the
Pennsylvania hotel late this after
noon.
The reduction made by Dodge
Brothers is decidedly unusual In that
it Is both retroactive and indefinite,
that is. according to the announce
ment, the new prices OF Dodge Broth
ers cars will not be made public un-
til February 1st, but will apply on
all cars sold after January 1st. This
means, of course, that persons who
have bought Dodge Brothers cars
since the first Of the year will be en-
titled to a rebate. the amount OF
which is still unknown to the public.
The official form of the Dodge
Brothers announcement as 1t ap-
peared in newspaper advertisements
SO timed that their appearance on
the streets would be almost stimuli
taneous with the verbal announce
ment at the Pennsylvania hotel meet
ing, was as follows:
fFnNHna xufIi announce m
February /, 1922, a substantial re-
duction in the prices OF their cars,
effective January 1. 1922"
The move, coming with dramatic
suddenness, but in a way that indi-
Gated long consideration, was in
stantly perceived to be one OF the
strongest pieces of merchandising
strategy achieved in the quarter CEN
tury in which automobile makers
have contrived more than one big
sensation.
It's meaning required no explana-
ton. Reversing past practice, which
the experience with price guarantees
of last year proved delusive and cost
~, It has the unique advantage of
establishing a barrier OF ten days
between the dealer and the customer
who bought the last car at the old
price. 1t takes care of customers
who have purchased cars within the
intervening period by providing them
automatically with a rebate to the
new price.
In this way IL removes from the
relations of Dodge Brothers with the
public any suspicion of unfairness.
In view of the many other defin-
itely announced reductions by vari
Gus automobile manufacturers it was
instantly conceded in all quarters
that Dodge Brothers had made a
shrewd maneuver. All officials of
the company, including Mr.. Haynes,
however, refused point blank TO make
any comment in addition to what
was formally announced.
The dealers meeting held by Dodge
Brothers was probably the largest
and most pretentious gathering of it's
kind on record. The large bathrooms
OF the Pennsylvania hotel accommo-
dated only about two-thirds Of the
diners while the others were placed
in the foyer and adjacent rooms.
The address of the president, Mr.
Haynes, who was introduced by c. w.
Matheson, general sales manager,
followed the show. Mr.. Haynes re-
viewed the success of the past year
in which Dodge Brothers were con-
spicuous as one of the leaders and
emphasized the greater possibilities
of 1922. He supplemented his talk
with a motion picture showing some
of the more important methods by
which the factory had co-operated
with dealers in enabling them to
meet the usual heavy demand for
cars in the spring. The picture
closed with a reproduction of the
newspaper in which appeared the
announcement of the price reduction
the first intimation that such
move was even contemplated by
Dodge Brothers.
II was an extremely dramatic final
touch to an exceptional program.