BRITISH CARS

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 11, 7 October 1927, Page 8

BRITISH CARS

MR. ROOTES PREDICTS A GREAT FUTURE. Mr. W E. Rootes, one of Britain’s leading car dealers, who was recently on this side of the world, returned to London highly optimistic about the future of the British motor export trade. “It is clear,” Mr. Rootes told the “Daily Mail,” “that we are now making motor-cars that are suitable for all markets of the world. Wherever I went I saw British-made motor-cars giving satisfaction on every class of road under all kinds of difficult conditions.

“At one time it was said, and possibly with some justification, that our cars were made for our own country, and that makers were indifferent to the needs of the over-seas markets. This may possibly have been true at the tifne, though no doubt the idea was fostered by our rivals. “But the performance of our cars in the past few years under the severest conditions and in the worst climates has quashed that notion. “The road clearance and track bogey has also been disposed of. An examination of a number of British cars and a similar number of cars of Transatlantic origin made recently by an enterprising agent in Adelaide showed that there was a slight advantage in favour of our vehicles. He at once advertised the fact.

“In all parts of the world, and in Australia and New Zealand particularly, it is now recognised that our makers are paying the closest attention to the requirements of their over-seas customers.

"The result is patent. It is shown in the steady increase of our export trade. It is visible iu all the countries I visited.

“Where once only foreign-made cars were seen the British cars are now making their presence obvious “We have got a footmg in the Empire markets. But in my view, based on personal inquiries and discussions with all the leading agents in the cities of many towns in our over-seas Dominions, we are only at the beginning of things. “I fullv believe that we are on the eve of very remarkable developments in our export trade. “New roads are springing up in all parts of the Empire, hundreds and hundreds of miles of them. And wherever there are new roads an increase in road transport must follow. The demand for cars in the Empire in the coining years will be enormous.

“Now that we have got the cars our customers want, the next step is production, and production on a large scale. It is justified. “Bv increased production we shall be able to get down to prices which will put us right ahead in these markets. “We must also study closely the question of marketing our wares, and in this regard an extensive advertising of British cars over-seas is an urgent necessity. Our rivals spend very large sums of money in making their goods known.