Roanoke Rapids herald., 1923-10-12
SOUND SENSE IN
PURCHASING CAR
Hearing Plays Very Important
Part in Selection OF a
New Automobile.
ItBy ERWIN GREER Presiden, Greer

l(By ERWIN GREER President Greer
College Of Automotive Engineering.
I Chicago)
Into every act of buying there en-
tiers one of the five senses. We pur-
chase articles through seeing, feeling
and tasting, but very few of us realize
that hearing plays a very prominent
part in the purchase of a motorcar.
Nevertheless purchasing motorcar
through sound is not a novel idea.
neither is it new one, because every
salesman unconsciously advocates ii.
At some point in his argument he will
emphasize that the absence of noise.
due to the smoothness of operation,
should be considered
Purchasing by this method. of
course, necessitates the knowledge
purr means power and the ability to
do work without effort This also ap-
plies to an electric car where the
sound Of motor changes to a groan
when it is not of capacity to care
for the work required.
Two Vital Sounds.
Anyone who contemplateS the pur-
chase OF a motorcar should know that
there are two vital sounds which de-
termine the solldity Of the car or its
lack of it. Where the body OF ear
has been practically thrown to-
gether," TO use an expressive current
phrase, the slamming of door will
emit a hollow sound which advises
him with an ear attuned to vibrations
Of the quality of the car, and says to
him in so many words. This is a
cheaply built body" But the truth to
the foregoing manifests itself when
one slams the door of wellbult car.
Then there is the sound Of solidity
and stability which cannot be mis-
taken and the listener realizes that
here is body not only correct in de-
sign but faultless in construction. II
Is not difficult matter for man
with a knowledge of values to be
bllndfolded and merely by the sound
emitted by the slamming OF the door
to describe the worth of the product.
The ''tinny noise" is characteristic Of
those cars in which no consideration
has been paid to the making of them
sound proof
Comparable to Sounding Board.
The body Of a closed car Is COM
parable to the sounding board of a
musical instrument. Owing to the fact
that 1t has six sides and is fastened
rigidly to the chassis every sound is
transmitted to the passengers. If the
car has been built correctly the combi-
nation of every little minute sound Is
a pleasing, low. purring, solid hum. IT.,
on the contrary. the car has been
cheaply manufactured this sound Is
missing and one hears in its place the
irritating, rasping noise which tears
the nerves.
Buying by sound is the second point
In the progress OF purchasing a motor
car. The first Is sight and il this
meets with the requirements of the
prospective purchaser. it is more than
likely that he will give the salesman
an opportunity Of demonstrating the
Piouutt. IL tuC oouuu VI tHt OF
the car itself is not pleasing it is more
than likely that his interest will die
out and all Of the salesman's argu-
ments cannot rekindle 1t.
While most people do not yet real
lie that sound does play such an I'm
portant part in the purchase of car.
due possibly to the fact that they have
not as yet given it much consideration,
vet 1t is an important factor. and the
quieter the motor runs and the less
noise there Is in the body and In the
entire car the quicker will the pur-
chase check be made out.
Try this method the next time you
look over car and note how easily
you can appreciate the value OF a good
machine