Need for V8s queried

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33514, 20 April 1974, Page 18

Need for V8s queried

(A Z. Pres* Association) AUCKLAND. .Measures to foster greater public preference for motor-vehicles having a more economical fuel consumption might be in the national interest for the Government to introduce, the .Minister of Defence (Mr Faulkner) said on behalf of the Prime Minister (Mr Kirk) on Thursday evening. Addressing the annual dinner of the Auckland Chamber ' of Commerce. Mr Faulkner questioned th* need in New oZealand for vg-engmed cars.

“With New Zealand’s modest road speed limits, is there really a practical need for. the powerful gas-guzzling VB. cars to the extent of the market penetration which, they have achieved in New ; Zealand?” Mr Faulkner asked. 1 “Last year just over 17 per cent of new car registrations had a cubic capacity rating of over 4001. compared with. 13 per cent in 1971, and only 2 per cent in 1969. “PRESTIGE?" “Admittedly a powerful car is desirable for caravan, trailer, or boat haulage. But is not much of this swing to, V 8 cars attributable to prestige appeal?” Mr Faulkner said that the higher prices f°r petrol could be expected to reduce—if not

reverse—this trend to more powerful cars. Mr Faulkner said that tests had shown that in cars ranging from 1100 to 2300 c.c. engine capacity the fuel saving from reducing speed from 60 miles per hour to 50 miles per hour is 3 to 5 miles per gallon. While this might not be a spectacular saving, the cumulative effect was very worth while.

“What is more spectacular, however, is the difference in fuel consumption between the various makes and models of cars on the New Zealand market.” he said. “Some of the smaller family saloons travel three times as far on a gallon of petrol as the very popular larger cars”