Evening star., 1924-05-11
TIME DESTROYS AUTO
MORE THAN USE DOES
Claim Made by Committee of
Washington Auto Trade
I Association.
RESALE VALUE CONSIDERED
Machine on Road Likely to Be Bet
ter Than One in Garage.

In failing to use their cars for all
transportation needs motorists are
virtually giving away millions OF dol
lars worth of transportation value
annually, according to a statement
just issued by the used car committee
of the Washington Automotive Trade
Association.
The committee points out the fact
that most motorists make the mis-
take of confusing longtime owner
ship of one car with intensive owner
ship and contends that the used car
problem would be solved largely if
motorists appreciated the distinction.
"A man may keep a car for five
years, but that is no assurance that
no has enjoyed full use OF it," the
Washington Automotive Trade Asso
citation statement reads. He may be
giving away so per cent of the car to
the man who buys it from him or the
dealer who takes it in trade.
Transportation Value.
USED cars should be purchased on
a basis of the transportation value
remaining in them, but this process is
complicated by the fact that because
many car owners keep their cars for
so many years the buyer must take
into consideration the fact that the
machine may be out of date in lines
of mechanical features.
"a lot of cars from five to ten years
that they will give $4,000 to $4,000
more miles of service, but few peo-
pie want them at price that would
ordinarily cover such remaining
transportation value. The fact that
the cars are old in model. or passe.
must be considered by the used car
buyer
This is hint to the motorist. If
he can extract the use he desires
from his car within a shorter space
NJ he CT IA he nb
OF selling the car at a figure that
will compensate him for the remain
ing transportation value.
LAS a matter of fact. a motorist
can run machine 10000 miles in two
years time and sell his machine for
more money than a man who runs~his
car $4,000 miles over a period of five
wears, granting that each owner gives
his car the sort of attention it re-
quires for the mileage consumed.
The twoyear-old car will have the
advantage of being more up-to-date
Time ages the average automobile
more than use. lot of cars that
stand in the garage all week are in
constantly in service. A weak bat
terry, for instance, will sometimes
serve motoriSt for months when
the car is not used for city work nor
at night: The man who is in the
market for such used car has to
consider the fact that he may need a
new battery. Down goes the price
accordingly.
"A car that is used has to be kept
up to scratch, otherwise it wouldn't
run. Many used car buyers would
rather consider the offering OF a
travelling salesman than a machine
which has spent most of it's time in
garage A car that goesone that
is right on the job the day it is sold
invariably brings a better price.
1T has been demonstrated time and
time again that the more use an own
or gets from the car the less his trans
portation costs him. Now it remains
for him to add the fact that intensive
use of a car is assurance of higher
resale value.
Don't save your car and stint
yourself. 1t simply means that time
will step in and make you a double
lo0ar.s