Basic HTML Version
Octobcr-Novcmbcr 1970
owners judged one third of U. S.-made
new cars to be in unsatisfactory con–
dition upon delivery.
Another authority estimates you only
have about a 50·50 chance of buying a
defect-free ncw car today. And sorne of
these defects can be downrig ht lethal.
A number of 1965 to 1969 models of
one auto manufacturer had 2.5 mi llion
individual cars with exhausts that
allowed poisonous fumes to seep into
passenger compartments. One car manu·
facturer had to recall 14.3 million
lemons out of its total production of
40 million cars. The other manu·
facturers with 33 million cars had a
20% recall rate.
Other defects include loose steering·
wheel nuts, chafing brake hoses, gas
pedal Jikely to jam in a fu ll-power posi–
tion, and seat belts of dubious value
unJer severe side impacts.
A Highway Full of Egg Crates
Said Dr. William H addon, president
of the l nsurance Institute of Highway
Safety, cars have become creations ot
"designed-in eggshel! delicateness." Es·
timated repair costs for front-end and
rear-end damage in "accidents" occur·
ring at 5 m.p.h. (fast walking speed)
for severa! cars he mentioned ranged
from 134 to 352 dollars!
It is no wonder insurance cates are
skyrocketing. And when you realize
that around 20 percent of Americans
drive with no insurance, there is cause
for concern. As it is, the American
automobile insurance bill has doubled
in a decade, to around 12 billion dol·
lars annually.
How can you beat the car game?
Chances are you can't.
You as the car owner must depend
on the ability and honesty of the car
manufacturer, the assembly-line worker,
the dcalcr and the auto mechanic. And
let's facc it, most people are out to makc
a buck. Since they're all gouging each
other, thc only way they can make
Ambossodor
College
Photos
LANDSCAPING BY AUTO–
MOBILE
-
Metropol itan oreas
devote Jorge percentages of their
land surface to the automobile.
The auto graveyard has come to
be an expected eyesore.