( Originally Published 1930 )

The automobile mechanic may find employment either in a service station or in a garage that does general repair work. The difference between the service station and the general garage is in the kind of work done. The service station is usually connected with an agency which represents one and sometimes two manufacturers, and which sells only the automobiles produced by them. The mechanic's job in such a place consists of putting the new cars into condition before they are taken out by the buyer, and of making repairs to cars of the same make that are brought in for such work. This is called servicing. The general garage is not connected with any automobile agency which sells exclusively one type of car. Repairs are made here to all makes of automobiles. The mechanic in such a garage must be familiar, therefore, with the construction of all kinds of cars. The actual operations connected with the making of repairs are, however, somewhat similar in both types of garage. In the service station, the mechanic works on one kind of car, while in the general garage he is called upon to work on many different makes of automobiles.