MOTOR IMPORTATIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18950, 23 February 1925, Page 11

MOTOR IMPORTATIONS.

„ YEAR'S HEAVY INCREASE. OVER 18,000 VEHICLES. TOTAL VALUE £3,500,000. MOST VEHICLES FROM CANADA. A substantial increase in the number and value of motor-vehicles imported into New Zealand is shown by the figures for 1924, when compared with those for 1923. According to a return specially compiled for the Herald by the Comptroller of Customs, 18,629 vehicles were imported into the Dominion last year, against 14,006 in 1923. an increase of 4623. The vehicles included cars, lorries, vans, trucks and buses, and also chassis for which bodies were built locally. The value of the vehicles totalled £3,537.578. against £2,424,815, an increase of £1,112,763, or over 45 per cent. The returns are more imposing when the importations for 1922 are considered. In that year only 3999 vehicles were imported, the value being £881,137. . The figures are the current domestic values in the countries of export plus 10 per cent. The average value of the cars imported last year was £lB9, compared with £173 for the previous year It is interesting to note the countries from which New Zealand imports her motor vehicles. Canada is far and away the most impressive supplier, and easily heads the list, both for the number of vehicles and their aggregate value. The United States of America, comes next, followed at a long interval by the United Kingdom. Then come Italy, France, Belgium (,and Australia in that order. Canada supplies the cheapest motor-car, at an average of £154, with America next at £2lO. The product of the United Kingdom is over 100 per cent, dearer than the Canadian, and costs £352 on the average. Nevertheless the demand for English motor-cars is an improving one, for during last year 1015 cars came into the Dominion from England, against 496 for 1923. The part that is played by local coachbuilders in making bodies for motor-trucks is illustrated by the fact that during last year only 93 completed trucks (which term includes lorries, . vans and buses) were imported from Canada, while 1666 chassis were imported. Exactly the same sort of thing occurs in the case of trucks imported from other countries. The most striking example is that of Great Britain, which sent only six completed motortrucks. but no fewer than 392 chassis. It is thus seen that the bodies for nearly ! all the heavy vehicles are built locally to meet local requirements. The majority of motor-cars imported are complete models, but last year 1359 chassis came into the country for which bodies were manufactured locally. The import of motor vehicles into Auckland during 1924 increased at a ' rate proportionate to that of the Dominion as a whole. In 1924, the port received 4895 vehicles as against 4199 for the previous i vear. 'I he value of the imported vehicles |H 1 • v<?al ' was £914,465. an increase of j £226.321 when compared with the figure j For the December quarter of 1924, New j Zealand imported 4540 vehicles, compared j with 3702 for the corresponding period of | hist year. The value of the vehicles for | the quarter was £927.277, compared with £6/1,434- for the December quarter of I 1923. | The North Island imported almost twice as many vehicles as did the South Island last year. To North Island ports came 12,188 vehicles, while the total for the South Island was only 6441. The value of the North Island importations was over twice as much as that for the South I Island, the actual figures being: North j Island, £2,367,503; South Island 1 £1.170.075, —.