Ford Motor Co. v. Switzer

125 S.E. 209, 140 Va. 383, 1924 Va. LEXIS 179
CourtSupreme Court of Virginia
DecidedNovember 13, 1924
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 125 S.E. 209 (Ford Motor Co. v. Switzer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ford Motor Co. v. Switzer, 125 S.E. 209, 140 Va. 383, 1924 Va. LEXIS 179 (Va. 1924).

Opinion

Burks, J.,

delivered the opinion of the court.

This was a proceeding by a motion for a judgment, with an attachment, by D. L. Switzer against the Ford Motor Company and the Beverly Garage, Inc., to recover damages for a breach of warranty of the materials and workmanship of a Lincoln car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company and purchased by the plaintiff. There was a verdict and judgment for the plaintiff against the Ford Motor Company for $900.00 and the defendant assigns error.

The notice alleges that on the 7th day of March, 1923, the plaintiff purchased of the Ford Motor Company, through the Beverly Garage, Inc., one Lincoln sedan at $5,157.00 cash; that in making said sale the said defendants severally warranted the said automobile against defects in material and workmanship; that the workmanship on the car was defective in several designated particulars, the most serious of which was that “the coloring on the door on the right side of the body and the narrow panel in front thereof and on the hood was a different shade from the uniform coloring of the other door and the remainder of the car;” and that the Ford Motor Company had knowledge of [386]*386the condition of the said ear in respect to the paint at the time of the sale, and fraudulently concealed said situation from the plaintiff and. deliberately misrepresented the condition of the said car to the plaintiff; and that in any event the ■ principal defendants are severally and jointly liable to plaintiff for misrepresentation and breach of warranty as to the character, quality and condition of said car.

There was no evidence of any fraud or misrepresentation on the part of the Ford Motor Company, and this allegation need not be further noticed.

In the brief of counsel for Switzer (the defendant in error) it is said: “The correspondence had between the parties before suit, and which was introduced in evidence, brought them to this point:

“The plaintiff’s contention was that the Ford Motor Company was liable in two aspects, first, as actively participating with the Beverly Garage in the sale transaction, and, second, was liable in any event as the principal actor through the Beverly Garage as its agent and representative; that the body of the car was defective, and the warranty was only dischargeable by supplying a new body in place of the defective one; and that, having refused this, defendants were liable for the money damages suffered by plaintiff.

“The Ford Motor Company denied that it was a party to the transaction of the sale, and denied the agency of the Beverly Garage; and insisted that the trouble was merely a ‘paint defect,’ as to which the warranty was discharged by merely repainting the car, and, their offer to do this having been refused, that the plaintiff had no claim for money damages.”

It is conceded that there was a defect in the painting and that it was material.

The Ford Motor Company is a foreign corporation, [387]*387doing business in this State, and manufacture's Ford automobiles and also Lincoln cars. It sells its products to dealers only, and does not sell to a person desiring to purchase a single car. It gave to the Beverly Garage, Inc. (all of the stock of which was owned by Edward Woodward), the exclusive privilege of selling in the city of Staunton its Ford ears and parts, and required it to purchase and pay for five Lincoln cars annually at fixed prices, less a discount of twenty per cent. The Ford Motor Company also maintained agencies in certain of the large cities, including the cities of New York and Washington.

The Lincoln ear was represented as an artistic creation, combining the refinements of grace and beauty-with mechanical perfection so as to appeal to the class who had taste for beauty and means to indulge it. It is a high grade ear and is said to be third in price among American cars. Switzer had been a former patron of Woodward, and in January, 1923, was the owner of a Packard car. Woodward knew that Switzer was- “on the market” for a high priced car and wished to get him interested in the Lincoln ear. He gave him a letter of introduction to the agent of the Ford Motor Company in New York, which was presented, and Switzer and his wife inspected a Lincoln ear in New York, but were undecided about purchasing it. On their return to Staunton, Woodward saw Switzer and said to him: “You don’t know what kind of a proposition I will make you on that car,” and Switzer replied that he did not, and they then agreed that Switzer should purchase a Lincoln car at $5,175.00, and that he should be allowed a credit of $1,557.00 for his Packard car. Woodward then persuaded Switzer to go to Washington to see a Lincoln ear at the agency there. Brubeck, an agent of the Beverly Garage, Inc., [388]*388drove with. Switzer and his wife in Switzer’s ear to Washington to see the Lincoln car, arriving there on March 5th. Brubeek, in company with Switzer and wife, went to the agency of the Ford Motor Company in Washington on the morning of March 5, 1923, and Brubeek presented a letter of introduction from the Beverly Garage, Inc., dated March 3, 1923, as follows: “This will introduce our Mr. C. K. Brubeek who comes to you with our prospects for a demonstration of the Lincoln sedan. Please go into the matter thoroughly both with our prospects and Mr. Brubeek,* and greatly oblige.

“Yours very truly,

“Beverly Garage, Inc.

“By Ed. Woodward, Mgr.”

The most connected account of what took place at the Ford Motor Company’s place of business is given by Brubeek as follows:

“Q. Do you know whether the Beverly Garage had wired or called the Ford Motor Company in Washington relative to the cobalt blue seven passenger sedan?

“A. Yes; we had phoned them and they did not have this car in stock and it was our idea to take Mr. and Mrs. Switzer to Washington to see a maroon car and a brewster green which they told us they had in stock. Our idea in taking them to Washington was to change their choice from a blue to a maroon or brewster green sedan. We wanted to show them the outline of the ear, to show the run or contour of the body, as Mrs. Switzer seemed to be under the impression that it was such a clumsy, car, and we wanted to take them to Washington so they could see the size of the Lincoln and change them from a blue to a maroon.

“Now I had a letter of introduction to Mr. Eynon [389]*389and on reaching the Ford place went in and asked for him. I forget the gentleman’s name who met us in the salesroom, but Mr. Eynon was in some sort of a conference and of course would not see me, and he got Mr. Wirgman, and I explained to Mr. Wirgman who I was and he told me that Mr. Eynon was in a conference and then I told him that they were a prospect for a Lincoln sedan, and we had been trying to change them from their choice of a blue car to a maroon, but what they wanted was a cobalt blue.

“Then he said that he had this ear in stock, and I told him then that was just what we wanted. He took us through lots of halls to a back room down from the street, slightly below the show room, and there were two cars, covered with canvas.

“Q. Was it on the street side?

“A. No; there is no street right there. It was not a bright show room. We then told Mr.

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Bluebook (online)
125 S.E. 209, 140 Va. 383, 1924 Va. LEXIS 179, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ford-motor-co-v-switzer-va-1924.