THE SALE OF MOTOR CARS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20964, 1 March 1930, Page 11

THE SALE OF MOTOR CARS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, —In your issue of the 18th inst. there appeared an. account of proceedings in the Magistrate’s Court in "the course of which one of the witnesses is reported to have made a statement that has, unfortunately, created a considerable amount of distrust towards motor traders as a body on the part of the motoring public. The statement referred to is as follows: —“ Witness stated that it was customary for motor dealers to run cars for a few hundred miles before handing them over to purchasers.” At a general meeting of the Otago Motor Traders and Garage Proprietors’ Association, held last night, strong exception was taken to this statement by everyone present, and it was unanimously resolved that a flat denial be given to it, because of the fact that it is by no means a general practice for new cars to be driver by the dealer “ hundreds of miles ” before being given to the purchasers. True, in some instances where the purchaser resides in a country district and the terms of sale are that the new car bo delivered at the purchaser’s door, ,it necessarily follows that such car is driven by road from Dunedin to the delivery point. This, however, is done only in response to the purchaser’s demand, and the motor trader would much prefer, if for no other reason than that of saving expense, that the buyer took delivery of the car in Dunedin.

On behalf of the members of my association as a body, I should like to be given the opportunity, through your columns, of assuring the motoring public that new cars, as a general thing, have not been run more than 10 miles at the outside before being delivered. This preliminary rnu is merely by way of a trial trip, and is necessary for the purpose of cheeking the motor, brake adjustment, steering assembly, etc., so as to ensure that the new car has been properly assembled either at the factory or in New Zealand, as the case may be.— | am, etc., C. L. Finer, President, Otago Motor Traders and Garage Proprietors’ Association. February 28.