Evening star., 1927-05-15
MOTORING
BY WILLIAM ULLMAN.


member of the family. mother and
the children, have available a means
of rapid movement to store, school
and other vital destinations. There
fore. the two or more cars to the
individual family.
*# *
Man always has had desire to
live in the open. Until the automo-
bile came along, however. he could
not find the time to crafty his i'm
pulse. Time being money, it was
rather difficult to reconcile oneself
to the idea of wasting valuable hours
getting back and forth from a coun
try establishment Then the auto
mobile came along and millions OF
dreams of a suburban home came
true.
The recognition OF the fact on the
part Of the automobile industry that
two cars are essential TO idyllic sub
urban residence is clearly manifest
this year. 1t explains in large mcas~
ure why manufacturers Of high
priced cars are turning out less ex-
pensive products and tho general
urge on the part of car makers to
create all automobile for every need,
Why, otherwise. would the largest
maker of high priced eight-cylinder
cars turn out sister product to sell
in a lower price tier? Why, other
wise, would the maker of promi-
nent six start producing a small
eight to sell considerably under the
firms pioneer product? Why. other
wise, all the light eights at fairly low
costs?
They are not due entirely to the
fact that the two-car idea is spread
ing, OF course. But a great many
of them will be sold because the
owner of one OF the pioneer products
wants the same naue plate or the
same quality of Workmanship. on a
smaller scale, for the famiy'S Secon-
dary car.
X y X *
The two-car idea is helping to ease
the used car situation. which is Sc
riouSly in need of betterment. In
stead of trying to force dealer to
take the old car i'll trade at the price
it represents as personal transporta-
ton, many car buyers are taking the
new car clear and retaining the old
one for general utility purposes.
A consideration of the advantages
and disadvantages of two-car owner
ship as against possession OF single
automobile reveals definite margin
in favor of the former.
The family with more than one car
has Immediately available at all
times transportation for every men,
Der OF the group. With an open and
a closed car, the usual combination,
it has the ideal type OF automobile
for all weather conditions. With a
large car and a small one in the ga
rage, the car that is called upon for
the most utilitarian service usually
is the cheaper one to operate in the
matter of gasoline, oil and tires. In
case of breakdown of one of the
ears, it may be put in the shop at
once and left there until it is thor
oughly repaired. This necessitates
a readjustment OF the family trans
portation schedule. but never results
in it's complete breakdown as is the
case when the single car. owned by
one household goes wrong.
In the case OF. doubl le car owner
ship,-it is found that neither car de-
preciates so rapidly. Since deprecia-
tion always is the large item of up
keep, this fact represents, in most
cases. distinct saving that is to be
ere dited to the ownership of two
cars instead of one.
* X X
About the only disadvantages that
can be mustered against the two-car
plan are those OF greater cash out
lay for the two cars originally and
for gasoline. oil, tires and repair for
the pair afterward.
Looking upon the aggregate ex-
pense as an investment, however.
and the great benefits derived as a
return on the investment, it is plain
that the nearly 100000 families that
own two cars do so because they
find it distinctly paying PROPOSE
ton.
Because it does pay dividends, the
number doubtless will be consider
ably augmented during the current
year.
Road construction in Canada during
1926 cost the Dominion more than