AUSTRALIAN CAR SALES

Press, Volume C, Issue 29602, 26 August 1961, Page 18

AUSTRALIAN CAR SALES

Companies Note Improvement (N.Z.P. A .-Reuter —Copy rig ht) MELBOURNE, Aug, 24. An irrpnowement in car sales was announced today by both the Ford Company of Australia and General Motors-Holden’s. The managing-director of the Ford Company, Mr J. G. W. Mclntyre, said that another 60 men would be employed at the Ford assembly plant at Homebush, Sydney. The men would be additional to almost 100 taken on last month to increase production after an improvement in sales. “The improvement is continuing, and the Ford sales outlook is encouraging,’’ Mr Mclntyre said. “We are increasing our labour force at Hiometiieh to give us the productive capacity we need.” The Ford share of the total automotive market in July was the highest for July since 1953, he said. “More Life” In Sales A spokesman for General Motors-Holden's said sales of Holdens early this month showed “a little bit more life.” “We don’t know yet whether this was a reaction to the Federal budget, or what,” he said. “We won’t know until complete figures come in from all sources throughout Australia at the end of August what the position really is, but we think it has improved.” Full production of Holdens would be restored next Monday when the 1250 men at Dandencng and 140 at Birkenhead, South Australia, would resume after their 10 working days “lay-off,” the spokesman said. Asked whether it was proposed to stand down other workers under the company’s new policy of temporarily shutting down fabricating and assembly plants wherever demand declined, the spokes, man said: “Nothing further like that will be done until we have a complete survey of the Australia-wide position at the end of August.”