BRITISH MOTOR INDUSTRY

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 3 January 1931, Page 12

BRITISH MOTOR INDUSTRY

FOUR YEARS OF PROGRESS

When during the recent Motor Exhibition Mr. Ramsay MacDonald and the Dominion Premiers paid a visit to Olympia they were able to see, m a tangible form, the progress that had been made by the British Motor Industry in its attempt to gam a position of pre-eminence in the motor markets of the world since the occasion, four years before, of the last Imperial Conference in London. At that time the British motor industrv was struggling with what appeared to be almost insuperable obstacles. At home, and m the wider markets overseas, their efforts were overshadowed by the achievements of their competitors. Criticism, oiten unwarranted but none the less damaging—was levelled against the vehicles manufactured in Great Britain, particularly in regard to the suitability or otherwise of their design and eonstructijon for {overseas requirements. At the same time it was difficult, and in some cases almost impossible, to secure responsible and adequate representation overseas for British-made veheiles. . , Despite this position, however, the industry was even then leaving no stone unturned to make up the ground lost during the war years and those immediately following, and it eageilv availed itself of the opportunities then afforded of meeting the representatives of the Dominions and Colonies at which full and frank discussions took place on the position and the remedies to be applied. Wliat happened subsequently is now common knowledge. By deputation and by individual visits British manufacturers sought first-hand knowledge of the conditions obtaining in, and the requirements of, their potential markets overseas, launching at the same time an intensive and sustained advertising campaign at Home and in Australia and New Zealand. Local offices were established there and in South Africa, while the British Manufacturers’ section was formed as part of the international body, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, Ltd., but with separate executive powers to take action where necessary on questions which mainly affected the interests of British manufacturers. Through this section the machinery now exists for conference and discussions as to the best methods of developing the export trade, while through the local overseas offices there exists the means of keeping manufacturers at Home and users overseas mutually in touch with the problems affecting both. No longer can it. oe said that the British manufacturer is indifferent to the requirements of the potential customer overseas —even if such a statement were ever really true. That these energetic measures have had results of immense importance to British motor manufacturers is undoubted, and even in a period of somewhat general trade depression there is ( room for congratulation on what has been achieved and for optimism for the future stability of the British motor industry, a survey of which shows that it is expanding its markets throughout the Empire in particular and in the world generally. For the nine months to September, 1926, when the last Imperial Conference was held in London, the imports of cars, commercial vehicles and chassis into Great Britain numbered 16,709 to a value of £2,500,474. For the same period in 1930 the number is 9,174, value £1,537,690, a decrease of over 7,500 and in value approximately £1.000,000. The exports of British motor vehicles for the period under review in 1926 were 21,529, value £4,939,722, while for the same period this year they are 22,145, value £5,030,764, an increase which, but for the period of financial difficulty experienced by an important market in particular, would have been considerably higher. The export trade is, in fact, steadily improving and may now be said to be on a much firmer basis than previously, as is proved by the increase of excess of exports of all motor products over imports for the nine months of 1930 as compared with the whole of 1926. Excess of Exports over

Period Imports- Exports. Imports. .Tan.-Sep. £ £ £ 1930 4,737,036 10.452.199 5,715,163 Year 1926 9.787.190 13,412,553 3,625,363

It was inevitable, after the war, that the efforts of the motor industry should have been concentrated on regaining the Home market, for no hope could exist of extending the market overseas until the output for home consumption reached a sufficient volume. The official registration returns issued by the Ministry of Transport show that there is an increasing demand in the Home market for British-made motor vehicles. In addition there is seen branches of various allied industries concentrating their attention upon employing more and more British material in their products, while there is. in certain Empire markets, a natural demand for British-made vehicles. Markets that were formerly virtually closed to the British motor industry are meeting their transport requirements from the products of British factories, while substantial agents, formerly almost impossible to find, are beginning to inquire for British lines. The four years in question have also witnessed notable achievements by British-made vehicles, both in the world of sport and in the field of pioneering enterprises in various parts of the world. It has witnessed, also, the creation of a demand in an entirely new field, for the world is finding that the small utility car provides, efficient means of transportation at the minimum cost of operation. Whatever may be the difficulties of the future, the British motor industry can look forward with the assurance that there is nothing fundamentally wrong in British motor design; that a certain measure of stability exists in tiie Home market; that a real start has been made on the wider problem of exports.