AUTOMATIC PRODUCTION.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 7 August 1926, Page 15

AUTOMATIC PRODUCTION.

MARKETS of all Nations

American, British and French automobto fill such a largo P'op°*°" of the world’s demands that the act v ties of other nations are almost an significant by comparison (says an.oxchance). Nevertheless, several Con tincntal countries are increasing then output of cars. Italy holds foul place. Belgium, Germany and Austua are also turning out cars train Join c war munition plants. Dmm L t o nearlv 4,0OCV,OO() motor vehicles vme built'in America. French production was second with 205,000 motor vehicles, while Great Britain’s total was 148,1-J.

The. American automobile industry is almost entirely dependent on home trade, but an effort is being made to capture an even larger P ortl0 “ °^ h ° overseas business. During 19-0 Anus rican factories built 3,833,000 passenger cars. Over 550,000 cars were exported, the best customers being the Unitec Kingdom, Australia and Now Zcalam . Although there are 55 makes o± American cars, there are half-a-dozen corporations which make two or more different cars. For instance, General Motors arc responsible for six different makes of automobiles, while the Durant Company produces cars under four difteien trade marks. Nasli-Ajax and HuclsonEssox are other combinations. In tact, the huge automobile industry of tho United States is shared by less than 40 distinct concerns. There are <.0,0Uu,000 motor vehicles running in America, including 18,000,000 pasenger cars, this is over 80 per cent, of the world total. There is an average of one car for 5.8 persons in America. California has one motor vehicle to three persons. lowa has one to four. Eleven states have at least one vehicle to live persons. lhe average price of cars sold in America last year was £l3O.

Franco’s total of 205,000 motor vehicles for 1925 is an increase of o 5 per cent, on the production of 14,i, 000 cars and trucks in 1924. French exports last year showed a 30 per cent, increase, the aggregate being over 01,000 vehicles, made up of 50,684 passenger cars and 4782 loriies and trucks. Great Britain was France’s best customer, and 12,864 ears were exported to England. Belgium absorbed 8100 French cars last year; Spam, 8113; Algeria, 5926; Switzerland, 2190 and Germany, 2713. French automobile imports “last year were 16,360 cars of which 14,847 were American and 999 Italian. There are 90 farms engaged in the production of motor vehicles in France. There is one car to 90 persons.

Great Britain has about 1,500,000 motor vehicles in service. One-third are motor-cycles, Of the output of 148,125 new vehicles last year, 29,05! were exported. Australia took 7108 British motor vehicles in 1925. Now Zealand followed with a total of over 3000 cars and commercial vehicles. India imported about 2350 British vehicles.

There were over 50,000 vehicles imported into Great Britain last year. These comprised 34,0(57 touring cars, 15,017 chassis and 055 commercial vehicles. It is estimated that there is one car to 57 persons in Britain. There are over SO manufacturers of British

Canadian automobile factories arc so closelv allied with American companies that the mistake is often made of grouping the industries. During last year the 11 motor factories in Canada produced record totals of 124,458 automobiles, 22,144 trucks, and 15,368 chasis, a total increase of 22 per cent, compared with 1924. On account of British preference tariffs, the exportations of Canadian-built cars are high. Last year 70,000 Canadian-built cars were actually sold in Canada, so that 54,000 cars, or 44 per cent, of the output, were exported.— Australia is the largest market for Canadian cars. New Zealand is second with a quota of 9935 motor vehicles for 1925. India is the next best importer of Canadian cars, followed by the Straits Settlements, South Afriea and the United Kingdom. There are over 720,000 motor vehicles in use in the Dominion of Canada.

Italy has always been famous for the production of ears for outside markets. Italy exports 70 per cent, of the output.” There are 36 automobile manufacturers in Italy. In 1914 the exports were 1200 cars. In 1923 this had risen to 12,773. For 1925 the exports reached a record of 31,000 cars, the total production being over 43,000. New Zealand absorbed about 250 Italian car’s last year. Great Britain is the largest customer, and nearly 10,000 Italian cars were sold in the United Kingdom last year. India accounted for over 700. Italy is a poor market for other Continental or British cars, and during last year importations into Italy were about 4200 cars. One Italian factory was established in 1895 with a staff of 25 men. It now employs 18,000 hands. Although insignificant, the German automobile industry is distinctly interesting. Some revolutionary designs are produced in Germany, and many are de cidedly freakish. There are 80 German automobile factories, 70 motor-cycle factories, and 40 manufacturers of bodies. The industry employs over 300,000 persons. The out- , put was 30,000 cars in 1923, 75,000 an 1924, and 100,000 in 1925. There is an average of only one ear to 316 persons in Germany. 'During 1924 there were many bankruptcies in the trade, owing to the fact that manufacturers concentrated on luxury cars, and could not fill the large demand for cheap vehicles of the American type. The founders of the Gorman industry are Benz, Daimler, aud Mercedes. Before the European war Germany exported over 50 per cent, of her automobiles. Now exports are only 10 per cent, of the output. Imports are heavy, and America is to the fore. During last year Germany imported over 10,000 cars, of which less than 100 were British. The United States accounted for 2700, Austria sent about 1700 cars to Germany, Italy 1400, France 1000, ana Belgium 500. ' Denmark supplied over 400 vehicles to Germany last year, but the majority wore Fords, assembled at Copenhagen. If British cars arc unpopular in Germany the feeling is reciprocated. Last year Britain absorbed on'lv 57 German cars as compared with 40 in 1924. About 70 per cent, of German cars arc four-cylinder types. There are a number of freakish twocylinder cars. Two revolutionary designs are the Bumpier and the llanomag, in which the engine is installed in a streamlined tail with the radiator. The Mercedes and Durkopp factories have been experimenting with supercharges, or Kompressor motors. The Mercedes is the only car in the world using' superchargers on standard chassis.

The Austrian industry is in a similar position to the German trade. The output in .1924 \ vaoooo cars. -Belgium produced 4850 cars in 1924, Czechoslovakia 2000, and Spain 900.