OLYMPIA-AND THE PROSPECTIVE USER
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Some Tips for Road Transport Tyros—Shows, Showmen and Shibboleths—The Choice of a Vehicle and Considerations which Affect It—Facts versus Fiction.
By " Cynicus."
IALWAYS feel rather sorry for the man who goes to any of the motor shows with the definite intention of purchasing some sort of vehicle. To face the massed batteries of all the selling forces of the motor industry requires a certain ameant of courage. To arrive at a satisfactory decision, in the midst of so many conflicting claims, requires sound qualities of judgment. To reach that decision, with a minimum of exertion and of trouble, requires some forethought and the possession of a 0Onsiderab)e amount of
information. ,
The Industry's Shop-Window.
Yet there is no pia ee like the Show for making a selection. It is the esiop window of the motor industry—a shop window 'in which all the goods are on view and the price labels can be seen. It is the place to-buy at.
Se, for the benefit of that large and ever-increasing army of readers of The Commercial Motor—namely, the prospective users of motor vehicles—I propose to give a few hints asjo the manner in .which those persons who are not over-blessed with experience in such matters can best set about the business of select, log; and buying .a vehicle at the Show. There are a good many things to be remembered, and there are a number of pitfalls to be avoided. I shall do my bestle draw attention to shine of them. Now, as no doubt many readers who. have not previously visited tho heavy vehicle show will be. quite familiar with that delightful Car Carnival which takes place each year—namely, the Motorcar Exhibition—let me warn them that they must not expect the heavy vehicle show to be a similar event. The heavy show is for business vehicles, and ite atmosphere. strictly strictly businesslike—A, little heavier, perhaps, like the vehicles, but more suitable for bpsiacks men. The bouncing people who are sometimes aseociated with the sale of automobile boudoirs are conspicuous by their absence. Heavy vehicle salesmen are chosen for the brand of stuff they put into their heada.rather than for the brand they put upon their hair. So the prospective buyer who goes to the Show for the purpose of doing a deal will find showmen there who know what they are showing, why they are showing it, and what it will do.
Sense versus Socks.
Thus, instead: of finding himself dealing with a man whose chief claim to distinction is a nice taste in dazzle-painted . hosiery, the visitor will have the pleasure of dealing with a man of sense.
This is important, because in purchasing a utility vehicle of any kind, it is almost essential to take the salesman into your confidence, to tell him exactly why and for what purpose you require the vehicle, and perhaps to ask his 'advice on certain points. Remember that the heavy vehicle industry exists by reason of the fact that it can give every buyer of its products a hard cash reason why he should buy. At the ..Motorcar Show you may find yourself the. unwilling possessor of a limousine you hate the sight of, merely because a pleasan•afa.ved young man hal,' persuaded your wife that the upholstery is the dernier cri, and suits her frock. That
cannot happen in the ease of a lorry. ,
Thus, the prospective buyer is relieved of some of the anxiety of being done," and cam devote more of • his attention to the matter of sensible selection,
D-i2 simply because it does not pay any firm in the heavy vehicle finest.° sell, a machine which is in any way unsuitable for the buyer's purpose. The industry relies, to quite a large extent, upon " repeat " orders from former customers, and most firms pride themselves on getting them. Repeat orders 'are only to be secured by giving satisfaction. , Furthermore, the manufacturers' and the users' interests are largely. interwoven, because the use of commercial vehicles increases solely in proportion to their utility and their economic value in actual use. So far, so. good.
The Science of Selection.
Having thus cleared the air a little, we may proceed to consider how best a selection may bo made from the infinite variety of types and makes which are available for inspection at Olympia.
First of all, let it be said that it is very foolish to go to the Show without first gleaning all available information about' the exhibits, and sorting it out a bit. The " forecast " number of The Cdnvotercial Motor was ideal for this purpose, as, by reading it carefully, the prospective buyer was able to jot down those stands which seemed likely to be of most interest to him. Olympia is a big place, and a. man who wants to buy, say, a 30 cwt. :vehicle' doee not want to wander all round the 'plaie'lOokinv a-ionners in the hope of finding a 30 cwt. one hidden somewhere amongst them. Take a Mae of the stands you want to visit, and then study the geography of the Show, so that you can go straight to them arid waste no time in unnecessary perambulation—which is tiring, if nothing else. Then you can devote the whole of your time and attention to the task of deciding between the claims of the various makers of the particular type of vehicle you happen to want. If you do not really know much about road transport vehicles of any kind, it is quite a good plan to take someone with you who does. Not someone who is financially interested in selling you a certain make, but an absolutely unbiassed adviser--if you can find one.
But, in any ease, have all your facts and figures with you. It'is not fair, either to the salesman Or4. yourself, to go unprovided with exact information aa to what you will require the vehicle to do, the Class of goods to be carried, the daily, mileage, the state of the roads, and the kind of country in which the' vehicle will operate. Every bit of information of this kind is necessary, both to enable you to buy what you want, and to enable the salesman to decide if he can satisfy your requirements.
The Matter of Mechanism.
Now, in these, days of reliability, there is a tendency to regard the mechanical part of a vehicle as relatively unimportant, because all Vehicles have reached such a high state of mechanical perfection. In a way this tendency is reasonable enough, but do not forget that the mechanical part of the vehicle is the part which costs the money, and represents the greatest portion, of your investment. Also, it must be realized that, while two chasaisof different make will giveperhaps equally good service over a certain period, there will come a time wheethey have tre.go into the repair shop for overhaul. That is often where the difference between good and indifferent design is felt in terms of £ s. d. Time occupied in mechanical repairs means time loston the road, time that costs, also, money in mechanics' wages. Some vehicles are better designed, from the repair shop point of view, than others. This is a matter to which attention should be given when the vehicle is bought. Moreover, it is important that the routine adjustment and attention which take up some of the driver's time each day should have been well thought out. Your driver will he interested in this part of the business, and his opinion will probably be of value. It must be recognized that drivers are but human, and adjustments that are capable of being easily made are more likely to receive regular attention than those that are not. Inaccessible greasers, moreover, are apt to go short of grease. Lubrication is a matter which must Le effieiently carried out, because it is the greatest preventive of undue wear and tear. The accessibility of all lubrication points is, therefore, of extreme importance.
The Cash Value of "Service."
Another matter which must be studied is that of " service," which terra connotes the " after-sale " interest which the maker manifests in his products. Most firms nowadays boast some sort of service" organization by which supervision is given GO vehicles when in the users hands to ensure that) they are kept in efficient mechanical condition, and working as they should. But some " service " systems are better than otheri, so, before finally deciding to purchase a vehicle, it is just as well to ascertain what amount of interest the maker is prepared to take in it after he has sold-it. The better firms. send round inspectors to look at the vehicles at stated intervals. Such attention is worth having.
It goes without saying, of course, that the body workof the vehicle must be suitable to the class of goods which will be carried. This is a matter in which the purchaser has a chance of specifying exactly what he wants, and of having a body built in the way he considers most suitable. He must take the chassis as it stands, but he can generally have his say in the matter of body design.
Important Considerations in Conclusion.
In these hard times no prospective buyer can afford to neglect costs of operation, and, in this, fuel consumption becomes an important factor. Fuel eoneuraption—be it understood, moreover—in regard to the useful load carried ! This is a matter on which it probably will be necessar-y to take the salesman's word, but it is one in regard to which there is unlikely to be much misrepresentation. The commercial vehiole salesman will generally be found to deal in facts rather, than fiction, because the purchaser can always call him to account.
The tar salesman knows that the buyer of a sporting car is not likely to grumble much if his petrol consumption turns out to be a little heavier than was represented when he bought the car. But the lorry salesman knows quite well that, as fuel consumption is one of the most important items in utility vehicle operation, and as it may make all the difference sometimes between loss and profit, the man who finds his vehicle lapping up more fuel than he had anticipated is liable to make a fuss about it. Another point which may be mentioned is the suitability of the gearing of the vehicle to the country in which it will have to work. It may be desirable if it is to be used in a, very hilly district, to have a;lower gear ratio than that usually supplied. This is a matter which must be settled in consultation with the makers.