WORLD'S MOTOR CARS

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4805, 3 July 1939, Page 6

WORLD'S MOTOR CARS

THE AGES OF SERVICE. A survey of the world's motor cars and commercial motor vehicles reveals the amazing fact that nearly one-third of the automobiles in the world at December last were eight years old or older. Statistics of the leading motorised countries show that, of the 49,942,694 cars and trucks in operation at the end of 1938, no less than 13,287,845 had seen at least eight years' service. Of that total of aged automobiles 10,239,197 were nine years old or older, and 6,112,727 ten or more years of age.

Indicative of how economic and political difficulties affect the production of new units and sales of new and used automobiles is the striking fact that, at the end of 1937, there were in the world only 3,339,000 motor vehicles ten years old or older, yet twelve months later the aggregate of these ancients had nearly doubled. More people hung on to their old machines and fewer oldtimers went to the wreckers' yards. The figures reveal what a colossal potential for the sale of new vehicles lie ahead of the industry, for obviously many millions of. the ancients must be nearing the "junking" stage.