THE NEW FORDS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19170, 29 November 1927, Page 9

THE NEW FORDS.

A HIRING SCHEME. £3O DEPOSIT AND £2 10/- A MONTH. Mr Henry Ford is making plans to introduco a new marketing schemo as well as a new automobile as soon as the now model is ready, states tlio Sydney "Sun." Tlio special New York representative of tho "Sun" is informed that tho now scheme, which wiil be cfi'cctive all over tho world, provides that Mr Ford will no longer soil cars, but will rent thorn, tho ownership remaining perpetually with the company. The user will pay £3O in tho United States, and proportionately more abroad, upon tho receipt of the car, and £2 10s monthly "forever." Tho monthly chargo includes service and routine repairs, and when the car is approaching the end of its usefulness it Can bo exchanged for a now one. This plan includes a yearly overhaul at a nominal chargo. Tho American automobile industry has long been expecting something novel from Mr Ford, besides his now gear-shift car. It is believed that tho rental system will securo hiin a huge proportion of tl)o small car business, as Mr Ford nlono is capablo of financing such a project. Bankers have some doubt ns to whether ho will find tho system successful, although obviously tho company's monthly incomo will roach hundreds of thousands of pounds within a i'ow years. Meanwhile pessimists fear that tho huge sums tied up by tho rental of tho cars may break evon Mr Ford's tremendous resources, especially as he has spent millions in rebuilding his pln"ts in order to produce bis new model. Mr Ford has not yet decided whether to introduce tho new system in foreign markets whero tho volume of sales is not large. It has been pointed out to him that the cheapness of tho new terms would probably stimulate greater sales nbTond, where the high tariffs handicap tho American automobile manufacturer, as foreigners, undor tho rental system, would pay tlio tariff in instalments, enabling thorn to got a Ford cheaper than the local small cars. If tho rental plan is successful, with his new cheap car Mr Ford plans to extend tho system to Lincolns, making the initial payment £3OO, and tho monthly chargo £B.