Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-06
BY Fl. CLIFFORD BROKAW,
Automobile Technical Adviser.


Frequently the procedure in buying
an automobile is to spend months in
minute study of whether one can
afford to buy car at all or not, and
how the whereWithal can be saved and
then to devote about five minutes in
selecting one of the new models. This
is all very good for the salesman VINO
happens to be the lucky first contact
with such prospect. He has a snap.
Often the car bought on this basis turns
out to be very satisfactory to the Gus
toner. However, this Is not the ideal
| way to proceed in buying an automobile.
1t is not proposed here that one
should waste a lot of time in selecting
car. 1t is suggested that reason
able amount of study be given to the
| job. In the first place it is very en-
| joyable occupation. this matter of pur-
chasing motor vehicle, and one should
| get all the fun out of it that Is possible
Since the fun of owning car is much
greater than buying one, the buying
process should not be unduly delayed.
One of the first things to do when
contemplating purchasing an automo-
bile is to examine the family budget
| in order to find out about how much
should be spent for this purpose. It
| Is estimated that the average retail
price of automobiles in 1928 was about
| S700. This appears to be little lower
than the estimated average price for
| 1925, which indicates that the costs of
automobile ownership are becoming
somewhat lower. although the lowering
in the general cost of living is not no
| ticeable.
In spite of the fact that the United
| States is the wealthieSt nation in the
1 4LoA IaoC "a
| filing income tax reports and that the
average net income of the taxable class
Of American citizens in 1927 was over
$4,000 year. the purchase of new
automobile is an outstanding event.
Cheapest Not Best Policy.
| As in buying clothes or furniture or
| other necessities of life, it is not always
the best policy to secure the product
which carries the cheapest price. In
fact, it may be economy in the long
| run to pay out larger initial amount
than the budget would seem to easily
afford. When buying an automobile,
person must consider for what pur-
pose the car is desired and over what
period of time one expects to get serv-
| ice out of such car.
Some people follow the practice of
trading in an automobile every year
| for new car. Others expect to use the
same car for to 10 years, or as
long as the machine will hold together.
There are many terms of service in
between these two extremes which may
appeal to prospective automobile
owner. How this matter is decided may
| have a definite bearing on the price
| one should pay for an automobile.
Having determined about what price
will be paid for a car, the next pro-
cedure is to secure the catalogues and
other literature concerning automobiles
which come within this price range or
close to it, One can then sit down and
carefully study the merits of these va
| rious makes without being subjected
to anything more than the printed
salesmanShip which will be found in
these advertising folders. Having made
this study. it will be possible to elimi-
nate all but few of the designs de-
scribed. Further information concern
ing these few makes can be secured by
talking to people who own and oper-
ate them.
Having absorbed all of this infornia-
ton and various opinions, one should