MOTOR-CAR INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20976, 12 September 1931, Page 12

MOTOR-CAR INDUSTRY.

(Published by Arrangement.)

FORD ACTIVITIES. Two interesting visitors to Auckland last week were Mr. Hope B. Gibbons, Managing Director of the Colonial Motor Company, Ltd., distributors for Ford Vehicles in New Zealand, and Mr. G. G. Kew, a hich official of the Ford Organisation. They are visiting the extensive network of Ford Service Stations right throughout the North Island, and calling on John W. Andrew and Sons, Ltd., Auckland, who have controlled for many years Ford activities in this locality. In this connection it '8 interesting to learn that the Ford Organisation has eighty-one Dealers throughout the Dominion and factories at Auckland. Wellington and Timaru. The Company is wholely owned, controlled arid capital'sed by New Zealanders, employing only New Zealand labour and paying out more wages than the distributors of any other car i» New Zealand.

The purchase of a Ford, therefore, is instrumental in building up (he prosper ity of the Company l>v simulating manufacturing. giving employment lo numer ous workmen and circulat ng money in the Dominion Every fourth vehicle that goes on the road is a product of the Ford Organisation As on index of Ford interests throughout the world, new and extensive works have been recently completed at Dagenham Reach. Essex Eng'and. This tremendous factory—one of the largest of its kind in the world—with an output capacity equal to that of e,verv othei English mo'or works com bined. will eventually employ more than 15.000 workers

One of the most striking examples of the up-to-dateness of the plant is the splendid natural light i.ig in every corner of every shop, obtained by the extensive use of class in the roof The area of roofing glass is approximately 600.000 square feet—nearly 14 acres—and it is one of the largest contracts ever civen out for British glass roofing. Those parts of the roof that are not glazed are covered with a special protected metal coated with aluminium on the inside—another fea'tire that adds to the excel leri? illumination.

The Dagenharn Factory to-day represents a noteworthy achievement by British architects, Bri'ish contractors. British manufacturers of concrete and steel Only a little more than eighteen months ago 'hey were shown 500 acres of waterlogged land on the banks of the Thames. To-day the home of the new ndnstry is in heine on the same spot

In presenting his Annual Report of 'he operations of the Ford Company. England, recently, Sit Percival Perry, Chair man, made special reference to the fact that the total exports of motor-cars and motor-car parts from ihe United Kingdom during 1931 was £6,081.280. ' The exports of our Company," he added, " amounted to £3,303,37 i, and 1 think you will agree that this is no insignificant contribution to the enhancement of the international status of the British Motor Industry."