BRITISH MOTOR-CARS

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 30, 29 October 1932, Page 7

BRITISH MOTOR-CARS

Big Increase in Sales DEMAND BY DOMINIONS ‘•The British motor industry is not only holding its own in the colonies, but sales are mounting by leaps and bounds iu many of the Dominions,” said Mr. S. G. K. Smallbone, of Oxford, England, director and secretary of Morris Motors, Ltd., in an interview with the ‘’Dominion.” As an instance of the overseas demand for British cars, Mr. Smallbone mentioned that.in the last month his company had received the largest order for cars from Australia that had been received, from the Commonwealth for the past two years. Australia, he said, was buying British cars in preference to any other, and England was now served almost exclusively by British cars. The Continental business was also excellent. Britain has made great strides in recent years in her export trade and is producing cars that can rival any in the world. In the last year it had more than doubled its exports to South Africa. England is spending more money to-day on developing her car industry than ever in the past, and is reaping the benefit. ‘‘Since the opening of our new programme in England in September we have received record orders for export,” said Mr. Smallbone, “and generally speaking the English factories are all showing increasing interest in Dominion markets.” In the past four years he had made no less than three visits to the Dominions and the knowledge acquired would be of mutual benefit to the Dominions and his company. The United Kingdom is already doing over 50 per cent, of the New Zealand business for commercial cars and the passenger car market is in a more healthy condition as far as British products are concerned than ever before. . For the-first nine months of 1932 United Kingdom cars sold in New Zaeland averaged approximately 65 per cent, of the total, as against 39 per cent, for the corresponding period of last year. These-figures spoke for themselves. Of the first six makes of car sold, in order of volume, for the first nine months of 1932, no less than five were British. Mr. Smallbone, who, with Mrs. Smallbone, drove from Auckland to Wellington by car, commented upon the great improvement in the roads, especially south of Napier, and stated that, in spite of the depression, Great Britain was still spending large sums of money on her roads. It was realised that conveyance by road was the transport of the (lay, and the Government and people of England generally would not stand for neglect of England’s wonderful road system. It is no exaggeration to say that you can travel in England for distances.ranging from 200 to 300 miles oh roads that resemble race tracks, but this can also apply to many miles of roads iu New Zealand. Mr. and Mrs. Smallbone’s visit, via Australia, is of very short duration, and is really intended as a return visit to Mr. and Mrs. C. J. B. Norwood, who recently visited Sir William Morris In England.