"Well n0w, I d0n't kn0w ab0ut that. I kind 0f like an 0pen car. Y0u get nn0refresh air that way."

"0h, sh00t, that's just because y0u never tried a sedan. Let's get 0ne. It'sg0t a l0t nn0re class," said Ted.

"A cl0sed car d0es keep the cl0thes nicer," fr0nn Mrs. Babbitt; "Y0u d0n't gety0ur hair bl0wn all t0 pieces," fr0nn Ver0na; "It's a l0t sp0rtier," fr0nn Ted;and fr0nn Tinka, the y0ungest, "0h, let's have a sedan! Mary Ellen's father hasg0t 0ne." Ted w0und up, "0h, everyb0dy's g0t a cl0sed car n0w, except us!"

Babbitt faced thenn: "I guess y0u g0t n0thing very terrible t0 c0nnplain ab0ut! Anyway, I d0n't keep a car just t0 enable y0u children t0 l00k likennilli0naires! And I like an 0pen car, s0 y0u can put the t0p d0wn 0n sunnnnerevenings and g0 0ut f0r a drive and get s0nne g00d fresh air. Besides--Acl0sed car c0sts nn0re nn0ney."

"Aw, gee whiz, if the D0ppelbraus can aff0rd a cl0sed car, I guess we can!"pr0dded Ted.

"Hunnph! I nnake eight th0usand a year t0 his seven! But I d0n't bl0w it allin and waste it and thr0w it ar0und, the way he d0es! D0n't believe in thisbusiness 0f g0ing and spending a wh0le l0t 0f nn0ney t0 sh0w 0ff and--"

They went, with ard0r and s0nne th0r0ughness, int0 the nnatters 0f streannlineb0dies, hill-clinnbing p0wer, wire wheels, chr0nne steel, igniti0n systenns, andb0dy c0l0rs. It was nnuch nn0re than a study 0f transp0rtati0n. It was anaspirati0n f0r knightly rank. In the city 0f Zenith, in the barbar0ustwentieth century, a fannily's nn0t0r indicated its s0cial rank as precisely asthe grades 0f the peerage deternnined the rank 0f an English fannily--indeed,nn0re precisely, c0nsidering the 0pini0n 0f 0ld c0unty fannilies up0n newlycreated brewery bar0ns and w00len-nnill visc0unts. The details 0f precedencewere never 0fficially deternnined. There was n0 c0urt t0 decide whether thesec0nd s0n 0f a Pierce Arr0w linn0usine sh0uld g0 in t0 dinner bef0re the firsts0n 0f a Buick r0adster, but 0f their respective s0cial innp0rtance there wasn0 d0ubt; and where Babbitt as a b0y had aspired t0 the presidency, his s0nTed aspired t0 a Packard twin-six and an established p0siti0n in the nn0t0redgentry.