Evening Star Newspaper, June 20, 1926, Page 70

TTT._SUXDAT STAR. WASHAINGTON, D. T. TJUXE .20. 10%_TPXART .7 o 49 Americ Car Lasts - AsLong As Repo-Not One There are two ways of determining how long automobiles last. The first consists of compar- ing the number of cars of a given make still in use, with the total number produced within the last seven, eight or nine years. The second method—the most complete and impartial yet devised—has lately been published by Profes- sor C. E. Griffin, of the Bureau of Business Research, Universityof Michigan, in his study: “The Life History of Automobiles.” Convincing proof of the long life of Reo cars is offered by the popular method of judging motor car life. This method consists of comparing the total number of cars registered at the end of the year with the total number of cars produced for the preceding seven, eight or nine years. It shows that not one American car lasts as long as Reo—not one. Still more convincing proof of this fact is now available. The “Life Insurance” Method Professor C. E. Griffin, of the Bureau of Business Research of the University of Michigan, has used the method of the life insurance actuary to deter- mine the average life of American automobiles. The results of his study are contained in his book: “The Life History of Automobiles,” published in February, 1926, by the University of Michigan. In this book, he shows how many of a given number of cars going into service this year will still be in use at the end of next year, at the end of two years, and so on—down to the last survivors. He found that after thirteen years, only a very few out of every 100,000 will be left. His method is accurate. It even eliminates any variations due to the fact that some manufacturers may produce a large num- ber of cars one year, and relatively few the next. It takes into account not only seven, eight or nine years’ production, but the entire life span of all the cars produced. Reo 44.3% above the average just how many Reos should have been registered on December 3ist, 1925, if the Reo were merely an average car. R. L. Polk and Company, antomobile statisticians, proves again that If the life of a Reo car were identical with the average life of all automobiles, there would have been in use on Janmary 1, 1926, 81,173 Reo cars. There actually were 117,126 —or a surplus of 44.3%. No other American car is as much above the average. What This Means There are today on the roads and streets of the United States 175 different makes of automobiles. Of these, only 59 are still being made. The rest are orphans. REO MOTOR CAR COMPANY, Lansing, Michigan THE TREW MOTOR CO., Inc. JOSEPH B. TREW, President 1509-1511 14th Street N.W. Main 4173, 4174, 4175 Open Evenings and Sundays New Service Building 1437 Irving Street N.W. Of the 59, eighteen are cars whose production has been so small that registration figures are not obtainable Forty-one have been built in quantities sufficient to enable automobile statisticians to give them a place on their current records. And of all these, not one lasts as long as Reo, not one. The Three Next to Reo In order to equal the Reo record, the three cars ranking immediately below Reo will have to make very material improvement. In order to make their ranking above the average equal to that of Reo, they will have to increase it by the following percentages: Price No. Cyl. $3195 8 2790 6 3070 6 Second car Third car Fourth car 0 % 18.1% 34.6% It is significant that of the first four cars, only one besides Reo has more than 100,000 cars in use— and the Sedan of this make sells for $1630 more than the Reo Sedan. And only one of the first four was an eight-cylinder car—the product of a manufacturer who builds eights exclusively. The Explanation The explanation of Reo’s astounding margin of leadership is found in the combination of the three essentials for long automobile life. ; These are: 1. Quality of materials and workmanship equal to that of the finest cars produced in America. 2. A persistent avoidance of the frequent model changes which hasten obsolescence and there- by shorten automobile life. 3. Low repair costs which lengthen the life of a Reo car even beyond that of the other fires quality cars. SIX NEW AND IMPROVED SEDAN $1565 at Lansing plus tax