Evening star., 1932-01-03

They may pass automobile row
without glancing right or left; they
| may turn deaf ear to statesmen, or
feel content to be out of touch with
what's going on in motordom, but mil
lions of motorists are unconsciously
selecting the grade of car they will
purchase next year and in the year
to follow.
Prediction Explained.
This prediction, made by many auto
, mobile men, is explained by the OBJ
server, who declares, Show me the
way a motorist takes care of his pres
ent car and I will tell you what kind
of car he will buy next" He adds
that motordom would benefit by a
realization that the Care will save
your car" slogan really means Care
will save your hope of being able to
own a better car"
While the trade-in is the most over
worked consideration of the average
motorist when he comes to buy a new
car he is passing through .he present
period of readjustment more oblivious
than ever before to the fact that his
present car is legal tender in the auto
mobile world only SO long as it is in
good condition. Neglect has no trade
in value on automobile row
Millions of people who are not
taking advantage of the numerous
plans being offered to preserve their
investment will be forced to go down
the price scale when they find it
necessary to purchase a new car.
Many of the processes for the preser-
vation of ones investment in personal
transportation do not involve more
than the purchase of an inexpensive
bottle of body polish or wax and a
little otherwise wasted time and effort.
The cars trade-in value can be main
tanned also by more skillful driving.
Preventive Service.
Preventive service has been de-
veloped by automobile dealers and spe-
cialists to a point where it is no
longer necessary to have breakdoWnS
and expensive repairs. Such services
are being more literally used by those
who own cars in the extreme price
group. The owners of medium priced
cars are reported to be the most
neglectfuI and to be in line for paying
the biggest penalty in the day Of
reckoning.
Owners of high-priCed cars maintain
their investment as matter of routine.
Many of them have worked hard to
reach the top rounds in the ladder of
success and they are too appreciative
of the value of equities to do other than
keep their car worth as much as pos
sible all the time. Owners at the other
extreme are equally aware of the value
of their property. They know that if
they do not take care of what they
have now they will run the risk of not
being able to buy any new car in the
future, regardless of price.
In between the extremes stands a
great group of motorists constantly
lured by the theory that if the present
car will not bring enough allowance to
make possible the purchase of car Of
like make and quality it will merely be
necessary to drop a peg or two in the
price range. Many thousands of peo-
pie are forfeiting the opportunity to
continue driving the grade of car they
like. Millions of people run the risk of
not being able to drive as good a car
for good many years to come.
Used Car Situation.
Improvements in the used car stu
alton suggest a reasonable demand for
well cared for used cars within the next
year or So Any motorist who assumes
from past experience that he gains
nothing on trade-in by offering his