CARS ON DEPOSIT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19275, 13 March 1926, Page 10 (Supplement)

CARS ON DEPOSIT.

FINANCINGS THE CUSTOMER. ! SALES WORTH, SEEKING. It is very obvious that motor-car agents j in Auckland are not angling for a largo ; hire purchase custom. A few of the | cheaper class of cars arc obtainable on j deposits of £SO or £75, but there is no : doubt that this convenience is only in- i tended as a last resource. Experience overseas indicates tiiat the hire purchase j system can be adequately profitable to car I dealers. It should bo tackled system- j atic.'illy and not regarded with suspicion. The sale of even high-priced cars on the deferred payment system is advocated by tho president of the Packard Motor Company. He says: " The type of person who Jives beyond his means we will always have with us. A retailer of judgment will set aside a certain amount for credit losses. But the amount is incredibly small in comparison j with tho returns to bo gained by making j tho purchase of the product convenient j for the customer." Tho president of the General Motors j Corporation has similar views. He says: ; " Financing should bo ma do availablo for j everyone whose economic position is such as to justify ownership. On the , other hand, wo do not believo in the ex- j tension of credit on conditions that mean, ! in reality, tho renting of tho car rather j than tho selling of it.." The Hudson-Essex Company encourages timo payments also. By a national finance system, Essex cars, retailing at \ 765 dollars, can be secured for a deposit ot j 280 dollars. For tho Hudson, priced at 1165 dollars, the deposit is 420 dollars. A national finance plan is also operated by the Willys-Overland Company, while on behalf of the General Motors Corporation, the General Motors Acceptance Corporation, a subsidiary company, conducts a huge timo payment system for Buick, Oakland, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Cadillac cars. _ Many English firms appreciate the necessity for catering for motorists who cannot undertake a full cash purchase. Morris cars have been sold in England for some time on small deposits. The largest distributors of Morris-Cowleys give delivery for £2O down, and the balance in 12 monthly payments. If a deposit of £25 is given tho balance may bo spread over 18 months. Tins means an instalment of less than £9 a month. If new cars could be obtained in Auckland at these rates. British cars would treble tho progress they have made on the market lately. A light Continental car is obtainable in Sydney without any deposit beyond the first instalment on a twelve month's system. AN EXHIBITION CAE. "Visitors to the Auckland Motor Olympia in August, 1925, were unanimous in praise of a particularly fine example of a New Zealand-built body on a Hudson chassis. The Vehicle was a beautifully equipped five-seater sports model, painted maroon. It is interesting to note that this car was among those sold by auction last week in connection with the liquidation of Cars, Ltd. Tho car was still in showroom condition, having failed to find a buyer. After some keen bidding ft was knocked down for £456. This "is about the price of a new Hudson with an ordinary imported touring body. At £456 this artistic sample of' local coachwork de luxe was certainly a bargain. NOTES. A garage fifteen stories Tiigh, providing accommodation for 1500 cars, is to be erected in New York. , Ten leading American cars now fit oil filters a3 standard. It is claimed that cars using the filters can be run from 2000 to 3000_ miles before the oil in the crankcase requires renewing. If circumstances should make sudden brake application essential, always remember that it is safer to leave the clutch In. Do not declutch until the last moment—at, say, about 5 m.p.h. The use of Duco body finishes began in America over two years ago, and already a dozen cars feature it. Two British cars are now offered vrin, cellulose paints. They are the Standard and tho Arm-3trong-Siddeley. The Titirangi road is in a very neglected state. Immediately after leaving the concrete at New Lynn, the route is a succession of pot holes. This is another instance of a beautiful scenic drive spoilt by tha nature of its approaches. Sevoral Continental cars which have employed four-wheel brakes on recent models are now abolishing the rear-wheel set and applying all the braking on large front-wheel drums. The following cars have appeared with front-wheel brakes only:—Delaunriy-Belleville, Chenard-Wal-cker, Bignan, and Vagova. For those travelling to Rotorua via Cambridge by car, or between Arapuni and Cambridge, a well-known motorist advises the road via the Mangatautari district. On the southern journey the Cambridge traffic bridge is crossed, and then tho motorist turns to the left. By journeying through the district named, beautiful views of the Waikato are obtained, and though the distance is about four miles longer, the superior road surface and the scenery more than compensate. There seems lack of foresight in the action of ratepayers of Papakura in rejecting tho proposals for making the district roads reasonably attractive to traffic. The ratepayers find themselves saddled with £1000" worth of machinery which seemingly will have little application to tho. footpath work authorised. A town i 3 judged by its roadi Papakura seenis destined to beocirfe very unpopular with both privat-e motorists and cemmercial vehicle drivers.