The American Lorry Invasion.
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The third of a series of articles dealing ivith the flooding of the home market with American lorries. The present article reflects the point of view of an expert American salesman. In it he describes how he proposes to hold the business which he is getting now with a certain amount of ease.
"The American Invasion" has, in some of its aspects, surprised us Americans as much or more so than it has you people in England. The trucks which are coming over may readily be divided into two classes. One class consists of those which are being brought over by manufacturers of repute who have definitely taken the decision that there is good business to be done in this country quite apart from that which is being temporarily obtained during the present troublous period. They have made up their minds to have a share in that business and are bringing over goods of such a quality that they can stake their own not insignificant reputation on them. They are prepared to establish central depots and to appoint agents ; they are arranging for an adequate supply of spare parts, and will conform with the recognized standard set by the best old-established firms in this country.
Merchants Who Sell and Then Quit.
The other trucks consist for the most part of those which are being sold at present on this side of the Atlantic only, having never been heard of previously by anyone. They -are being built for sale during the present rush, and are being sent over by that type of business man who, whilst he can see a ready demand and little trouble in selling at a quick profit, will hold on to his business, but When he -finds that 'trade is easing off, that instead of selling hundreds he is only selling dozens, then he quits and turns" his hand to some other more immediately lucrative style of busi-ness. These trucks are being put together quickly to be sent over here and disposed of with the same de.gree of haste ; no spare-part stock is being arranged, and they will die a natural death at the same time as this war or shortly afterwards.
Poor-class Trucks Spoil the Market. Few Good • American Cars in Britain.
They are, unfortunately, going to do a considerable amount of harm to the first types of machines which have definitely come over here with the idea of making good. The same thing happened many years ago with bicycles. It occurred again, though perhaps not to the same extent, in the touring-car trade. The contributors who have been responsible for the two articles in your paper dealing with this question, have evidently in their mind's eye the style of American automobile engineering which has for some years been represented by American touring cars, and therein they err. There have not been sold in this 'country any appreciable number of high-grade American motorcars. The best with which you are well acquainted are, in my 'opinion, oily of second or third-rate importance in the country of their origin.
First-class American Trucks Claimed to Equal British High-grade Chassis.
The same applies to perhaps an even greater extent to commercial-vehicle chassis. Only one which approaches anywhere near the best class of American construction in this respect was„, sold in this country to any extent before the war—I refer to the White. I am quite sure that the best-grade trucks that are made in my country will compare, favourably with those of the same class of British manufacture, such as the Leyland, Daimler, etc., and I am confident, moreover, that once our vebi6les are known and appreciated they will have as ready a sale as soon as they can be put on the market at the same price as theircompetitors. No Difficulty in Selling Just Now.
The present inflated prices of American lorries are due principally to the fact that much higher freight rates than usual are in existen.ce. Even at this high price there is no difficulty in disposing of them; in fact, almost any chassis can now be 3old if delivery can be made, and no very special business methods are necessary to get the trade. The fact that these conditions will not hold good when the war is over is not being lost sight of by American salesmen like myself, who have come over here to make good. As far as possible, those makers whom I represent will sell through agents. In my opinion this is the fairest way and it is also. the one which will eventually become general throughout the industry.
" Service."
After the war good American machineswill command a ready sale owing to the advantages which the user will obtain by the institution of what is termed "service." As compared with the English method whereby, if a man has a breakdown, the question as to who is going to pay for the repair must be discussed and settled before anything is taken in hand, our American system is to do the work first and get the machine on the road again, afterwards settling tie question as to whether the insurance company, the owner, or some other third person, ought to pay. Naturally, if the man has found that a motor lorry pays, and if he realizes that for every day in which that Machine is held up he is losing money, he will appreciate the efforts of that builder who makes it his biliness to cut the number of those days to as fine "a limit as possible. -The American Method of giving " service ' is the best way of helping the user.
After the War.
By this service, and by selling machines only of the best class, will the American agent be ableAto build up a lasting business. After the war there iStio doubt that many agents who, for.the time being, are willing to sell American machines, will prepare to return to their first love. That is to say, if we give an agency. to Tom Jones of Blacktown, and if he has originally handled Leylands, when the war is over there is very little doubt that he will be inclined to give Leylands the preference when a sale is imminent. At the same time, if the users have had time to appreciate the value of these American machines and also the treatment of the customers by American makers, then there will be a reasonable demand for that machine, and if Tom Jones does not consider it worth his while to proceed with it, there will be no difficulty in persuading William Smith from next door to take on the job.