Auto Gossip

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32612, 21 May 1971, Page 7

Auto Gossip

A. J. P.

by

realise that according to the law you should never drive around in reduced visibility on parking lights, but on dipped headlights? The reasoning behind this—and it is valid—is that if it is dark or misty enough for a car to require lights at all, parking lights are of little use, and headlights are needed. A good rule is that if you can see the beam of your dipped lights on the road ahead of you, then it is time you had the lights on. But you should also use them, of course, in heavy daylight fog. Another rule: if in doubt, put your lights on. Fitted heaters Talking of heaters—some people regard it as mildly scandalous that in the case of some cars, the heater is still an “extra.” I must say I am inclined to agree with this view, but I do know some of the reasons

for leaving the heater out when the car is assembled.

If it is fitted then, you see, it carries tax. If it is put in by the dealer as an accessory, it does not carry the same tax. And, of course, the apparent price of the car is lower. As far as the customer is concerned, the extra cost of labour to have the heater fitted as an “extra” probably more than cancels out any saving on the tax applied to the car as a whole. It is easy to say that cars should have heaters, screenwashers, reversing lights, door mirrors and so on as standard, but you have to remember the cost. Conversely, some apparently expensive cars have so many extras as standard fittings that the price is really more than comparable with their competitors.