MILLIONAIRES AND THEIR CARS

Horowhenua Chronicle, 7 April 1936, Page 3

MILLIONAIRES AND THEIR CARS

Outside the Metropolitan Opera House the occupants of the Diamond Horseshoe are clustered in the lobby. The footman is calling out: “Two twenty-four; four twenty-eight.” The carriage call indicator is flashing various numbers—a signal for Mrs. Aster’s car, Mrs, Vanderbilt's car, Hiram Perkins, an oil magnate and a visitor to the town, is looking around for his car. He is puzzled. His wife has purchased so many—it is a mania with her—that he actually doesn't know which car is his. This is a true incident and sums up the situation with regard to millionaires and their cars. Three Runs Per Car. I knew Mr Charles Schwab, the steel millionaire, and he told me that he never rode in the same car more than three times—at least he thought lie didn’t—until he happened to giance over an inventory of his effects. Then he saw |ix sedancas, five limousines and three 80 h.p. coupes. Therefore, when he rode in a sedanca he did not know which one it was. I asked him how he purchased his cars, and he told me that he, personally, had never bought a car in his life! He allowed his wife to choose her models and those for the children. For his own use he had a buyer, whose job it was to purchase cars, wireless sets and any other knick-knacks that came along. The interviewing of motor salesmen alone was a full-time job! If you could see Mr. Schwab's garage near his palatial residence on Riverside Drive you would be assured of the truth of this statement. It is a two-story garage, with a sliding platform and a complete automobile workshop. This garage, which contains his own jictrol, puts any of the public garages in the shade for convenience and luxury. I once saw young Otto Kahn’s garage and petrol bill for a month. I am not exaggerating when I say that it was over £1000! This is rather peculiar, for his father, Mr. Otto Kahn, is very conservative when it comes to ears. lie drives a sombre-looking limousine. Ptnlshed. in Khaki. My friend Mr. William Todd, the shipbuilder, used unique methods with his cars. Not only did he use them for pleasure, but. also to make money. In America all departments of the .Navy use khaki-coloured cars. As Mr. Todd got most of the Government work all his ears wpre prainted in that colour. He lived in five different places. One of them was a luxurious apartment in the exclusive Hotel Brossard in Brooklyn; another a mansion in Sr. Martin’s Avenue, Brooklyn; another in Riverside Drive, and he had also a country residence in that island. He had eight cars, each one of them painted in olive drab. In Eight Places at Once.

Every morning at nine o’clock regularly one of these large ears .would appear. At a certain hour it would drive away; then another car exactly like it would appear; but always outside one of the houses would be stationed- a car and a chauffeur. If anybody inquired where was Mr. Todd he would be told that Mr. Todd was resting, was not to be disturbed, and would shortly come down. To prove that the statement was bona fide, there was his car. People thought they knew where Mr. Todd was by his car. For example, if it was outside his Wall Street office, they would take it for granted that ho

was in Wall Street. V In reality what "happened was this. Mi*. Todd had a private entrance to each one of his homes. In the early morning, when the spirit moved him, he would come out in his very shoddylooking clothes, a big piece of chewing tobacco in his mouth, and get into the shabbiest, banged-about old ear that you could over see in your life. Then he would drive himself to wherever lie wished to go. When people thought he was peacefully sleeping he was dealing in shares iu Wall Street. Oars Costing £20,000 I have been asked: “What does the average, millionaire pay for a car i’' This, is a rather difficult question, ami my answer is that it all depends upon the millionaire. You have some very prominent industrialists iu England who have far more money that the colourful lime-light-loving Yankee millionaires. They are content to maintain ears in accordance with their station of life—the town car, the country and the runabout. Quite different from the late Ivar Klonger ami Eowenstein! I am sure lhat both of these millionaires never paid less than £12.000 to £20.000 for a ear, because every part of the car was especially constructed for them. Apart from that they had wireless sets ami ©very conceivable gadget and tilting installed. They wanted their ears to look as it’ they had paid £20.000 tor them! I*Bt Yoax’s Model Given to the Butler Moat millionaires make a pointy of jfcmying a new model every year. What

happens to the old models I I will tel: yon how they work it iu America. It is the unwritten law that when yon are in the service of a millionaire as a butler, valet or French maid, you get the cast-off clothing and other knickknacks. The cars sometimes come under the heading knick-knacks! Therefore, when you are sauntering around in Central Dark, you may see a very grand-looking car, which is driven, presumably by the owner, at whoso side sits a very pretty little girl, lavishly dressed. Who are these people? They are Mr Millionaire’s butler and French maid sporting around iu the latest east-off.