Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-17

&OA VAAC AAAAAOA INCONVENIENCE
Virgil o. Barnard, president of
the Saunders Drive It Yourself
System here. estimated that. in
the first year, with depreciation
at about $500, it costs the aver
age motorist at least SIS or $50
a month to run a car. He could
do better renting a car. accord
ing to Mr.. Barnard. who has
been in the business since 1923.
He estimated about go per
cent of his patrons are local
people and about 40 per cent
out-of-town people. chiefly busi-
nessmen. In the summer out-of-
town proportion goes up because
of visitors here on vacations. At
the same time. a number of
Washington people rent cars
for vacation trips.
12O Hertz Cars.
About the biggest company
here not renting cars in fleets is
the Hertz Drive Ur-Self System.
Ferd G. Friend, general mana
ger, said the company has 100
passenger cars. 1t provides
Chevrolets, conventional shift,
at the 80 cents an hour plus
8 cents a mile rate. A Chevrolet
Power Glide car rents for 90
cents an hour, plus 9 cents, and
Pontiac at $1.10 an hour plus
10 cents. Daily and weekly rates
for the Power Glide Chevrolets
and PontiacS are also more than
the So day or $50 a week basic
charge.
The Hertz company does ex-
tenSive advertising, selling the
idea of a train or plane trip
plus a Hertz car waiting for you
on arrival. He said local patrons
account for 3l.7 per cent of the
business here, out-of-toWn peo-
pie for $50 per cent. while in
the case Of liza per cent, the
origin was not ascertained.
Mr.. Friend said that frequent
ly, when Washington mans
car Is laid up. he will come in
and rent one. He said also a
few cars are leased on a yearly
basis at $21.50 a week, plus 6
cents a mile.
The Avis Rent-A-Car System
operates at the National Airport.
1t is part of a national company.
Albert Shochet, one of the Off
Gals, said about IS per cent of
the patrons are from other
cities. arriving by plane.
A large number. he said. are
engineers of airplane manufac-
turing companies who come in
by plane and then drive to the
Patuxent Naval Training Sta
ton or other bases in this area.
Types Of Cars at National
The National Car Rental Sys-
tenn will provide either a Ford,
Chevrolet or Plymouth. Allan w
Mcdonald. car rental manager.
said about 60 per cent Of car
renters are businessmen, and
about 30 per cent are tourists.
A number of the company's
clientele. he said. are State De-
partment Foreign Service Off
GERS. He explained they will
come back to this country on
leave, call at the State Depart
ment and then rent a car to
drive home, which may be any
where in the country.
Don't ask me for their
Names" he added, but some
are even our ambassadors
abroad"
The Gray Line. Inc. which
also operates in other cities, said
there is not much demand for
big cars by those who rent cars
and drive themselves This COM
panv also finds businessmen are
chiefly its customers. Darticu-
larly those from the West Coast.
y The company also rents lin
cuisines.
Capital Fleets. Inc. primarily
does a business of leasing cars
by the year. Vincent S. Flinka,
office manager, said the concern
has $50 cars. One company, he
said, leases 90 cars. another Is
and another 20 but is increasing
its feet.
They find it much cheaper to
rent cars than to own them or
to reimburse ennlnveS ubo ,,cn