... Yes, 40 million cars roam and romp the length and breadth of America... something enormous indeed, which the mind can scarcely believe... It means that the number of cars in America is forty times greater than the population of Lebanon... and roughly equals the population of England! It is truly a figure that provokes astonishment, questioning, and interest... For if we suppose that the average number of persons riding in a single car is only two, then nearly half the population of the United States spends its day in a car...
For this reason the great American concerns — among the largest of them the Hollingshead Company (WHIZ) — work diligently night and day, not in the cause of manufacturing cars in their various excellent makes, but in the cause of keeping these cars in a perfect state in point of mechanical soundness and in point of comfort. They have done much to make them pleasurable and healthful... and they have likewise succeeded in prolonging the car's life and perfecting its service.
The modern and most useful method followed today in America and in the other countries of the world to secure these things is the use of various chemical products... By means of these inexpensive products, car owners today can enjoy a lasting, agreeable atmosphere and peace of mind as regards the dangers to which a car is ordinarily exposed. These chemical products, whose use has become necessary and indispensable for every car, fall into three classes:
First: products for protecting cars against the effects of the weather: among them a special substance that keeps frost or ice from affecting the radiator (Radiator Anti-freeze Solution); a special liquid that absorbs water and keeps it from freezing inside the gasoline tank and lines; and other products for protection against bitter cold or intense heat...
Second: chemical products that keep the car in the best condition for running: among them the special brake fluid (Hydraulic Brake Fluid), which makes the brakes answer the demand most perfectly. There is likewise the liquid known as Shock Absorber Fluid; this substance lessens the harm that may befall the car's mechanical condition from a sudden jolt caused by unpaved roads or potholes, by reducing the danger or damage to the lowest possible degree. And at the same time, the jolt causes no discomfort to the passengers. Among them also is the 'anti-rust' liquid (Radiator Rust Preventive), whose purpose is to keep rust from the car's delicate parts, and especially the radiator...
Third: chemical products for beautifying the car and preserving its shape and appearance: among them the various liquids and pastes used to revive the car's color, known as Liquid and Paste Finish Cleaners; likewise the wax paste or liquid, which preserves the car's exterior condition whatever the fluctuations of the weather or the changes of climate... There are also the chemical compounds used for washing the car, whose merit is that they clean off whatever dirt may cling to the car, of whatever kind (asphalt, for example).
These are some of the chemical products prepared for cars today. The latest statistics have shown that, thanks to these things, life inside the car — if the expression is permissible — has become comfortable to the highest possible degree, and less dangerous than at any other time.
It remains for us to see the amount of the material cost that will fall upon a car owner who enjoys all these advantages! Statistics show that what the ordinary driver needs on the average per year is 25 Lebanese lira, and this sum covers all the following: radiator cleaning (Radiator Flush) & (Auto Finish & Polish), oil for the shock absorbers (Shock Absorber), brake fluid (Hydraulic Brake Fluid), valve-grinding kits (Gasket Cement and Valve Grinding Compound), and... and... et cetera.
This sum is reckoned trifling beside the amount and importance of the benefit the car owner will obtain! Thanks to these inexpensive things he keeps his car in the best and most perfect condition possible, whether in point of its mechanical state or in point of comfort and luxury... And in any case, it is reassurance and peace of mind enough for a man to be riding in a car knowing that his life is exposed to the least possible danger, because his car is fitted out most perfectly and stands fully prepared to face all surprises and sudden dangers.