JUDGE GAR BY DISTANCE IT WILL RUN

NZ Truth, Issue 1239, 29 August 1929, Page 19

JUDGE GAR BY DISTANCE IT WILL RUN

Second-hand Goods Seldom Worn Out ■ How many purchasers of secondhand cars have considered , their purchase m terms of unused mileage? A man does not, buy • a car as he would a piece, of jewellery or a -picture, but- is paying';.', for the service that. is going to be obtained" froni it. He is buying potential mileage. '„ ...'.

TT is .difficult, if. not impossible, to • .say what is the. useful ; life ; of'a car; obviously it : will- .vajpy with, the . q uality and -the treatment .it has received at the hands of its owner. • Potential mileage can be; dissi- : patedniore rapidly by carelessness and neglect ' than 'by legitimate use as shown by the speedometer. Suppose one is contemplating the purchase of a two-year-old car of average price. It is .'reasonable to "think that.the total potential mileage of an average car; a 'of,- this type when. new is 100,000 ;m'iles; It -is found- that it has done between 20and,30 thousand miles. A '.careful, examination, of the car shows that,' it has probably been fairly well. cared-f or and. reasonably. carefully driven,' but various minor .faults may cause ;'Qh"e to debit it : with another 'sooo to 10,000 - 1 miles/, yy. .■".',•:■''* -•'"'•' ''■■".- Then, we know,..that we are buy,-. : ■ ing> say, :60,000 potential.miles of . ' sfe'rvice^' v ' *•■■-,'' •' •' '• •'; •'";'- , Most of '.the ' reasonably' .niodern, cars that tcome yon >,the ; secondhand ' market do -so -because -their, Jate,' owners wanted a • change. V were 'Hired i of "* the. -old tear, ■ A -v..- A'a.7... ■:"■'•■■ ■'. '■*■'. '.-'.. *■■."■ '' .-

needed more seating; capacity,, more horse-power, or a closed car instead of an open — not because they, are worn, out or have not still many thousands of unused miles to their credit. , So it may well happen that it will pay the prospective purchaser better to, ignore the dictates of fashion and obtain a two or three-year-old car that has a big potential -mileage, life before it, rather than get a year-old' car that, by reason of use! or ill-treatment, has reached middle age and 'has most of its trouble-free mileage behind it. .