SHORTAGE OF TYRES

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23248, 7 February 1941, Page 8

SHORTAGE OF TYRES

POSITION CONSIDERED SERIOUS I “CARS MAY BE FORCED OFF ROAD” A serious shortage of motor tyres, threatening to force many vehicles off the road if it is not eased, was reported yesterday by representatives of the tyre and motor trades in Christchurch.

“For resellers, the position is very serious," said Mr G. W. Fairweather, Christchurch president of the New Zealand Retail Motor Trades Association. “There are no stocks at all in the country, and many sizes are today absolutely unprocurable.” . This position, which was growing progressively worse, had been brought about largely in the first place by import restrictions, and m the second place by the loss of shipments through enemy action, said Mr Fairweather. When the restrictions had been imposed. the tyre companies had naturally imported sizes which would turn over quickly, and had not woined about sizes which were not quick sellers The position to-day was that no more of these sizes were available. Though older types of cars particularly affected, it was difficult to get tyres for some new cars. Every make of car was affected. If the shortage is not eased quite a lot will have to go off the road, said Mr Fai - weather. “You can run a car mi a bad mechanical condition, but n without tyres.” There were some \ ery well-known types, still m service which would either have to go off the road or change their wheels and the latter course was not practicable. “The difficulty is, what are we going to do?" he said. “There are no cars coming into the country, and we have eot to keep the old cars goin Q . It was worse than a shortage of spare parts, because these could often be made locally, but once the wall of a tyre was gone nothing could be done of one of the largest wholesale tyre firms m Chnstchmch confirming these statements said that from the wholesaler’s point of view tyres for some fairly new models—of 1936 1937. 1938. and 1939-were practically unobtainable. There were popular sizes it was impossible to puj • Not a day passed without inquiries for tyres which it was impossible obtain. The shortage was accentuated bv the demand for new tyres for cars which might in normal times be traded in. “I , would say that the shortage is getting urgent—it is <m the margin of what we would call drastic, he said. "Motorists are having to run their tyres beyond the margin of safety.”